Peter Varsity Project: Life Members Back Bishop Ezeokafor BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA

Following an appeal made by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, to various groups and individuals to complement the efforts of the Diocese in its onerous task of erecting a citadel of learning, the Awka Diocesan Life Members have made a cash donation of N100,000 for the development of Peter University situated at Achina Aguata LGA .

Speaking during a courtesy call to  the bishop last weekend at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka shortly after the donation the diocesan president Lady Virgy Okoli said their visit was to celebrate with the bishop
and other priests and religious at the Cathedral in advance the upcoming Mothering  Sunday celebration billed for 19 April, 2015, and also to assure him of their usual support for the development of Peter University.

She reiterated the association’s commitment in propagating and projecting the university, noting that their gesture would be an annual one. Lady Virgy Okoli said they were poised to see to the successful completion of the project.

In their speeches the secretary of the group Lady Rose Onyedibe
and the treasurer Lady Stella Njaka asked for God’s continued blessings on the bishop whom they described as a loving father and a good listener.

Also speaking, the former President of the association and provost Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe (NOCEN), Dr. (Mrs) Cordelia Ego Uzoezie expressed the hope that with contribution and support from public spirited individuals the University would be developed and as well competed favourably with other world class institutions around the world.

The former Anambra State commissioner for Women's Affairs enjoined all and sundry to support project which she described as worthwhile venture.

Responding Bishop Ezeokafor thanked them for the gifts and words of encouragement noting that the project was a shared responsibility. He noted that their roles as mothers would not be over-emphasised and charged them to work harder and ensure that peace, progress and oneness reigned supreme in their various families.

Bishop Ezeokafor said the only way out of social unrest and family quagmire in the world was for the mothers to take their family role seriously and also guide and channel the attention of their wards towards God's teachings. 

He expressed the hope that if mothers could continue to take
responsibilities of transforming the family the world would be a better living place and wished them a happy celebration come April 19 2015.

The highlight of their visit was the presentation of cash and gift items to the bishop and other priests and religious at the Cathedral.

It will be recalled that the group made a similar donation in 2013 and during last  year’s Easter visit to the bishop.

CAPITAL OIL BOSS, IFEANYI UBA BEATS UP OBIJACKSON

ostareze.blogspot.com reports that there was commotion in Anambra as the Group Managing Director of NESTOIL PLC, Dr. (Sir) Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi engaged in a fight with the Director of Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria (TAN), Dr. Ifeanyi Uba.
 
The Free-For-All Fight began around 3.30pm at the headquarters of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra which is the collation center for Ihiala Federal House of Representative, and lasted for more than 45 minutes over an alleged result mutilation.

ostareze.blogspot.com reports that trouble started when Dr. Ifeanyi Uba allegedly found Sir Obiejesi while falsifying the original result sheet been submitted to the collation center in favour of his party, APGA. Ifeanyi Uba was supporting PDP.

“When Uba found Sir Obiejesi popularly known as Obijackson falsifying the original sheets to favour APGA and his candidate, Uba encountered him, snatched the paper away from him and started beating him up to the charging of their respective supporters,” our source said.

FG will unbundle power in the next four years - Peter Obi By OGEMDI OZOEMENAM, Onitsha

The former Governor of Anambra State a nd Deputy Director-General (South Nigeria) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation, Mr Peter Obi has assured Nigerians that there would be biggest transformation in the power sector in the next four years of President Good luck Jonathan's administration during which electricity would be unbundled.

Mr Peter Obi stated this yesterday while unveiling the manifestoes and programmes of President Jonathan to Odenigbo FM, saying the biggest decision of President Jonathan to unbundle power would ensure that what happened in telecommunication industry in the country, will also happen in power sector.

While expressing optimism on the workability of the planned decision, the former governor noted that reliable power supply through the unbundling of power sector would not only create job opportunities but will also facilitate the engine of economic growth to enable micro, small and medium enterprises to grow.

On financing, he said, the Development Bank which was launched three days ago, came on live stream with over 300 billion and would lend long-term money for five to ten years at a competitive rate.

"These are game-changing decisions of president Jonathan. Everything APC want to come and do, Jonathan is already doing it, why don't they leave him to continue", Mr Obi queried, adding that Buhari should be allowed to retire in peace even as he described APC as being consistent with inconsistency.

On exchange rate between naira and dollar, the youngest and former chairman of Fidelity Bank, said   exchange rate is not stable but is determined by a lot of factors. "We face naira depreciation today because 75% of our income come from a singular item - oil. That could happen to me and you. If your only source of income is the money they pay you in Odenigbo FM and tomorrow, that is reduced to over 50%, it will affect all your budget in the house including the food you eat; and that is what we are going through now.

"Oil has moved from 115 naira per barrel to 55 which is our only source of income in the foreign exchange leading to depreciation of naira to 25%.

"Compare to other countries that depend on oil like Russia, Russia has faced 70% depreciation. In Venezuela, people cue up to buy essential commodity with food prices rising to 300 percent while our own, food prices have remained stable, just as countries without oil like Ghana has battered exchange rate", Chief Obi argued .

He urged eligible voters to vote massively for the PDP presidential candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in view of better future the country stand to gain when he is elected into second term, begging Nigerians never to vote for anybody above 70 years in order not to take the country backward.

Asked why he defected from APGA to PDP, the Deputy Director-General (South Nigeria) of PDP presidential campaign organisation, said he is now a major player at the centre, playing in the premier league other than division one league.

According to him, he was with Ikemba Nnewi Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at a critical time in his life and gave him a befitting burial and maintained that the Igbos must fight to be at the centre, hence his decision to be there.

Although from opposition party APGA, the former Governor averred that he attracted many laudable projects to the state and served for two terms more than any other governor in the state following his strong relationship at the centre more than any other governor in Nigeria.

He pointed out that"Nobody has been able to remove the governor through the court before me, nobody was able to come back to office from impeachment before me and nobody has served the old and new Anambra state for two terms before me. I built Nkpor flyover, Obosi bypass , had the best road network in the state, leapfrogged the state in education from number 24 in the federation to number one as well as built the first teaching hospital in the state.

"I was the first governor to leave money in foreign currency in the bank (156 million dollars) for my successor among other things".#

[PHOTOS] Jonathan Visits Buhari’s Hometown,You Wouldn’t Believe What People Did

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday travelled to Daura, the hometown of Buhari in Katsina. He was there to campaign for re-election but something hilarious happened immediately after he left the town. The people from the village were seen washing their roads immediately after the campaign. The pictures was shared by an Instagram

ONITSHA MARKETS CLOSE DOWN FOR PRESIDENT JONATHAN

Following the announcement that the campaign train of the president of Nigerian, Dr Ebelechukwu Goodluck Jonathan was enroute the boisterous trade capital of Anambra State, Onitsha, all the shops in the major markets were closed down in honour of this.

Except for a few roadside grocery shops that were opened around the markets, the major markets looked deserted and security lines passed round about them. People were also seen hanging around these markets discussing the hottest topic in the country – the presidential elections and who deserves to be voted between the two major contenders – Rtd General Mohammed Buhari and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking with some of the people loitering about the MGBUKA OBOSI used car parts market, ostareze.blogspot.com discovered that most of them were people who had come to transact business as usual but were surprised at the development. One of them who preferred to remain anonymous said, ‘My mobile phone was turned off since yester night due to the power outage and I couldn’t communicate with my contact here in MGBUKA. I had paid him for a Brainbox yesterday and was told to come today for it. I just started charging my phone and I hope he would come out and deliver the good to me’.

NIGERIA'S 2015 ELECTIONS: PRESIDENT CLOSES DOWN ALL BORDERS

Nigeria has announced the closure of all land and sea borders ahead of Saturday’s presidential elections, the Interior Ministry announced Wednesday.
All borders will effectively be closed from midnight March 25, to midnight Saturday, March 28, the ministry said in a statement.
The release, signed by the permanent secretary, Abubakar Magaji, said the borders would be closed “to allow for the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming national elections”.
It also said the Nigeria Immigration Service has been directed to ensure that non-Nigerians do not participate in any part of the election process.

FRENCH ALP PLANE CRASH:Co-Pilot Showed 'Willingness To Destroy Aircraft,' Prosecutor Says

The co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 appears to have deliberately crashed the plane carrying 150 people into the French Alps after the pilot had left the cockpit, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said at a news conference today.
"The interpretation ... that we can give at this time ... is that the co-pilot through voluntary abstention refused to open the door of the cockpit to the commander and activated the button that activates the loss of altitude," Robin said, providing often-chilling details into the final moments before the airline crashed.
But, he said: "There's nothing showing that this is a terrorist act." And he refused to characterize the actions as suicide.
The information was gleaned from the cockpit voice recorder, which was recovered Wednesday from the crash site.
Robin described the conversation between the pilots at the initial part of the flight, after takeoff from Barcelona, Spain, as "lively, pleasant, courteous," but he said that later, when the pilot was preparing the aircraft for landing in Duesseldorf, Germany, the co-pilot's answers seemed "short and curt."
Robin identified the co-pilot as Andreas Lubitz, 28, a German national. The Wall Street Journal reported Lubitz, 28, lived in Montabaur, Germany. He had 630 hours of flying time and had joined Germanwings in September 2013, directly after training.
The vastly experienced pilot, whose name has not yet been released, had left the cockpit apparently to "satisfy natural needs" and handed the controls to the co-pilot, Robin said. Knocks, "very violent knocks," on the cockpit door can be heard as the pilot tried to regain access, Robin said. The co-pilot can be heard breathing until final impact, he said.
The Marseille prosecutor said the co-pilot did not respond to multiple attempts to get in touch by air traffic controllers in Marseille, and he did not issue a May Day distress signal.
"He didn't say anything," Robin said. "Not a single word."
He said that screams from passengers can be heard moments before the final impact, but he noted: "Death was sudden and immediate" when the plane hit the mountain.
Updated at 8:22 a.m.
The recovery of the bodies of the passengers will likely continue until the end of next week, said Brice Robin, the Marseille prosecutor.
Updated at 8:14 a.m.
"There's nothing showing that this is a terrorist act," said Brice Robin, the Marseille prosecutor.
And, he said, he would not use the term "suicide" to describe the co-pilot's apparent actions.
Updated at 8:09 a.m.
Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin identified the co-pilot as Andreas Lubitz. He did not offer more details about Lubitz, except to say he was "obviously capable of piloting the plane by himself."
But The Wall Street Journal said Lubitz, 28, was from Montabaur, Germany.
Screams can be heard before the final impact, Robin said, adding the passengers did not realize what was happening until the final moments.
But he noted: "Death was sudden and immediate" when the plane hit the mountain.
Updated at 7:50 a.m. ET
The actions of the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 have been "analyzed as willingness to destroy the aircraft," Brice Robin, the Marseille prosecutor, said at a news conference today.
"The interpretation ... that we can give at this time ... is that the co-pilot through voluntary abstention refused to open the door of the cockpit to the commander and activated the button that activates the loss of altitude," Robin said.
The co-pilot was breathing normally through the entire process. The pilot was locked out of the cockpit, Robin said. His comments were in French and translated into English on France 24.
Both pilots are German nationals, he said. The co-pilot was not on any terrorist list, Robin said.

CULLED FROM NPR NEWS ONLINE

ANAMBRA INEC HOLDS LAST INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH STAKEHOLDERS

Barely four days to the long awaited election day for the presidential, senatorial, and house of representative elections, Anambra INEC boss held another of a series of interaction sessions with the state’s stakeholders to update them on the status quo of the body in view of the elections and sensitize them on why it is imperative to play their own parts to enjoy a free, fair and credible as well as peaceful election exercise.

Addressing the large crowd in attendance, the REC shared the INEC chairman’s goodwill message with them and then went ahead to careful explain the electioneering procedure cum codes of conduct expected of all the electorates and politicians. He made it clear that it is not the National Electoral Commission does not want anybody to fall short of the law as the sledge hammer of the law will spare no one regardless of social status, who disregards the dictates of the electoral codes. He warned parents not to allow their children to be used as political thugs as those who dare get lured into any form of political gangsterism during this period would not succeed but would only end of under the clutch of the law enforcement agencies. He also set the records straight concerning the nature of March 8^th election which he said would feature the presidential, senatorial and house of representative elections. He said the accreditation process would commence at 8am using the smart card reader on the D-days and end at 1pm when the voting process would commence. He added that effort is being made to ensure that they achieve close to hundred percent distribution of Permanent Voters’ Cards and that so far they have achieved 91% already.  The REC also added that he wishes that the candidates would conduct themselves properly on the D-day and that at the end of the exercise the losers congratulate the winners as, according to him, ‘it is not a do or die affair as one amongst the many must emerge the winner finally.’

Also speaking during the event was ACP, Joseph Agudosi, who represented the Commissioner for police, Anambra State. He stated that all the security agencies in the state are united in the noble cause of ensuring safety and peace before, during and after the elections in the state. He expressed the security agencies’ resolve to bring whoever is found around the polling units or with incrimating materials like INEC materials when he/she is not an INEC official, to book regardless of who the person might be. He enjoined his colleagues in the force to ensure they remain in their posts as any security agent found in an area where he is not posted on that day or with a ‘Money bag’ parading where he was not assigned by his seniors would be arrested. He also said that whoever is found sharing money at or near any polling unit will also be arrested. Speaking on the same note, Mr Agudosi  called on the influential members of the society to act right and avoid fomenting trouble on the D-days as any form of unrest would adversely affect all and sundry . He reiterated that the electorate has nothing to be scared of as long they conduct themselves peacefully and do not over step their boundaries. He revealed that armed men would be posted before the Election Day to all the senatorial headquarters as well as strategic points in the state to search all vehicles as well as patrol teams with communication devices to ensure that any form of argument, fight or trouble of all sorts is nipped in the bud.  

Inquiries were made by the stakeholders present concerning the role of the smart card reader, given that the election would not be conducted electronically. Responding to that, the REC, with an ICT official attached to his team demonstrating, explained that the smart card reader would play the role of identifying genuine PVCs as well as whether a PVC is meant for a particular polling unit or not. Also, concerning the       question about the Internally Displaced Persons’ voting process, he said that the arrangement for their exercise of civic duties has been made only in the three states affected by the insurgent and that those who had to leave the north for their hometowns due to the unrest had been asked to transfer their PVC and that those PVCs are being transferred and issued to their owners, which collection would continue till March 27^th.

Speaking on behalf of the executive governor of the state, the Chief of Staff representing Chief Willie Obiano at the forum expressed the governor’s regret for being absent. He shared the governor’s appreciation to Ndi-Anambra for responding to the call for collection of their PVCs and enjoined them to respond the same way in exercising their civic duties. This, he said, would interpret to a successful outing during the election. He appreciated the community leaders for the part they played in actualizing this saying that they should continue in the good work. He quickly added that the electorate should be assured that the government of Anambra state is resolved to secure lives and properties during the election period.

Umeh Partners Obiano

Umeh Partners Obiano On Women And Youths Empowerment

BY
Raymond Ozoji , Awka

As part of the concerted efforts made to further the cause of women and youths in Anambra State following the integral role that they play in nation building , the resolution of government is that women and youths would receive the very best of social welfare packages .

This was the standpoint of Chief Victor Umeh while responding to questions from journalists yesterday at rally in Awka .Chief Umeh stated that if elected as the senator representing Anambra-central senatorial zone in the impending national assembly elections , he would work closely with the State Governor Chief Willie Obiano to ensure that women and youths in Anambra State were given good welfare programmes and empowerment schemes .

He said that women empowerment was topmost in the agenda of the Willie Obiano administration and that as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , he would work in constant collaboration with the State Governor to fashion out ways to better as well as improve the lots of women and youths in Anambra State stressing that if they were well taken care of it would indeed guarantee a better and tranquil society for all and sundry .

" i will make sure that their children will get jobs . Anambra State Government is already working very hard to creating the enabling environment for jobs to be created for our youths . The Governor has been attracting huge foreign investments to Anambra State and these investments will create jobs for our youths . We presently maintain a date-bank in the Anambra State Mnistry of Youths and Sports . A data-bank of all graduates from Anambra State that have not been employed .

So it is going to be a collaborative work to ensure that our children get jobs so that our women will well taken care of
So we have micro-cedit schemes for them without interest . So we are women-friendly and i will carry it to the senate " Umeh told newsmen .

The APGA senatorial candidate further disclosed that he has enumerated the enormous problems confronting Ndigbo pointing out that the blight cast on Anambra-central senatorial zone as a result of poor governmental representation and indeed the sufferings of the entire igbo nation were his motivation to aspire to represent Ndigbo at the national assembly
with a view to addressing the age-long marginalisation of the igbo nation from national affairs .

The national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance who stated that he was a delegate to the national conference , where the likes of him fought tooth and nail for the Nigerian people to accept hook-line and sinker that the igbos have been badly treated in Nigeria since the civil war ended .

He therefore added that through the national conference Ndigbo got approval for the creation of an additional state in the Southeast geopolitical zone and that the igbo nation equally got the endorsement of the national conference for states to be known as federating units in Nigeria as opposed to number of local governments as enshrined in the constitutiom of the land as amended .

Chief Umeh therefore expressed his avowed committment and determination to the cause of Ndigbo as he rightly declared his stand that " i offerred myself to run for senate , to follow this resolutions of the national conference to the national assembly where the implementation will take place "

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