46—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014
Nigerian-born U.S. soldier empowers students, artisans
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Nigerian-born Unit ed States soldier, Captain Sunday Adebomi, has instituted an empowerment programme worth over N6million in the South senatorial district of Ekiti State. Speaking at Ise Ekiti while distributing cheques to the beneficiaries of the programme, including student traders and artisans, Adebomi said the gesture was geared towards assisting the less privileged in the society The Ise Ekiti born military officer said the beneficiaries were selected randomly without any political or religious sentiment
Falcons Chemical Limited builds ultra-modern lab BY CHINYERE ABIAZIEM
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ALCONS CHEMI CAL Limited has built an ultra-modern laboratory that would save the nation much foreign exchange. Prior to the commissioning of the laboratory last Wednesday, chemical manufacturing firms in Nigeria took their product overseas for laboratory analysis. The laboratory, located at Ijoko-Ota, Ogun State, was commissioned by the Bishop of Awori Diocese of the Anglican Church, the Rt. Rev. Akin Atere.
Francis Uzoma passes on DR FRANCIS Uzoma (Ozondu), an Owerri based medical director, is dead, aged 66. He was survived by wife, three children and a host of other relations. A statement from USbased medical practitioner, Dr. Ejike Uzoma (son), said service of songs will hold April 2, while funeral service and interment will hold at his hometown at Ishiowerre, Owerre Nwkoji, Nkwerre LGA, Imo State April 3, 2014.
Late Dr. Uzoma
Kalu urges Jonathan to call Abia police commissioner to order ...says President wrong on no-go area clauses for National Confab BY DANIEL ETEGHE
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ORMER GOVERNOR of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday appealed to Pres-
ident Goodluck Jonathan to review the activities of Abia State police commissioner to stave off a rehash of another Mbu in the state.
Mbu was the controversial police commissioner in Rivers State whose activities allegedly heated up the political firmament of the state.
COCKTAIL: From left, General Manager, Clarke Energy Nig. Ltd, Mr. Patrick Nzekwe; Counsellor, Economic, South African High Commission, Mr. Calvin Phume; South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Mokgethi Monaisa; his wife, Mokgadi, and General Manager, Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, Mr. Mark Loxley, at the hotel”s Quarterly VIP Cocktail, in Lagos.
APC remains the party to beat — Okonkwo BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
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ONTRARY TO insinua tions that he was on his way out of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Annie Okonkwo, has said that he has no plans of ditching the party he helped to found in the South-East. And in spite of bickering in Anambra State chapter, Okonkwo said he elected to remain in the party because it is the only party that can salvage Nigeria from her
multifarious challenges. Speaking after a stakeholders meeting of the party in Awka, the Anambra Central senator said, “after a proper study of what Nigeria is currently facing today as a nation, especially the insecurity and unemployment problems, it is important that we keep sentiments and personal interest aside and save our nation.” The insinuations of his plan to leave APC from his recent suspension by the party to investigate the allegation that he was involved in anti-party activities
during the November 16, 2013 Anambra State governorship election. Considered a front runner in the governorship race, the APC hierarchy favoured Senator Chris Ngige for the party’s ticket, a move that raised dust in the party. However, Okonkwo said: “After the investigation of the party, they find out I was not involved in antiparty activities, that is to say that APC is a party that stands for truth. All the things they said about me have been investigated.”
The former governor also said it was wrong for the President to prevent delegates at National Conference from discussing the unity of the country, as one of the no-go area clauses for the conference. Kalu, who made the appeal in an interview with newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly on return from the United Kingdom, spoke against the backdrop of arrest of the Associate Editor of The Sun Newspapers, Mr. Ebere Wabara, by policemen from Abia State who allegedly acted on the orders of the state governor, Theodore Orji. He said: “It is just like some policemen in Abia State breaching the rights of arresting some journalists on their fundamental human right of writing, the commissioner of police in Abia is like a savage as far as I am concerned because he does not understand what the constitution is all about. “The Inspector General of Police understands the laws of this country and understands that journalists have right of existence so I want to warn that commissioner in Abia. I am appealing to Mr. President to have a second look on that commissioner in Abia before they will have another Mbu in Abia State.” On the National Conference, Kalu said President Goodluck Jonathan was wrong in preventing delegates at the National Conference from discussing the unity of Nigeria as one of the major no-go-area clauses. He said the delegates were duty bound to discuss everything, noting that was the only way the country could become strong and one indivisible nation.
FG charged to include more women in leadership positions BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE, JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA & ANINO AGANBI
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OVERNMENT AT federal and state levels, as well as corporate organizations, have been called on to work towards including women adequately in leadership positions to make Nigeria the world’s largest economy by 2050. This call was made yesterday by the President, Institute of Directors, IoD, Chief Eniola Fadayomi, at the 3rd edition of Women Directors’ Conference tagged “Women As Leaders: Discovering Authentic Leadership” yesterday in Lagos. ”It has been said that Nigeria stands to be the world’s largest economy by 2050 and for me, this could only be realized with women’s active participation in governance”, she said. Fadayomi explained that a consideration of the first 20 listed companies in the Nigerian Stock Ex-
change revealed that seven companies had no single woman on their board; adding that five of the companies had a woman each, while eight had either two or three women on their boards. While hoping government and private bodies would do the needful, Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Chief(Mrs.)Cecilia
Ibru, President, Michael and Cecilia Foundation; Iyalode Alaba Lawson, Chairman, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayo Phillips and Dr.(Mrs.)Stella Okoli, CEO, Emzor Pharmaceutical, all noted that there was dire need for women to maximise their associations and spaces to create
opportunities for other women. Regretting that most women had pushed down the ladders with which they climbed to the pinnacle, Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, advised women in leadership to consider women and girls as their key constituency.
Group appeals to Gov Okorocha to re-award road contract fallen on deaf ears. BY JUDE NJOKU
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HEAD OF the proposed visit of the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorochas to Ikeduru Local Government Area tomorrow to assess the progress of ongoing projects in the area, a group, Klobb X, has again called on him to revoke the contract for the construction of Ekemegbu-Oha -Afor Uzoagba road and award same to a more competent contractor.
The group in a letter to the governor, dated March 1, 2014, alleged that on hearing of the governor’s visit, the contractor immediately mobilised to dump some laterite in the site to give the impression it had returned to site. In the letter signed by chancellor and scribe of the group, Mr. Nnamdi Ibe and Chief George Idimogu, respectively, the group alleged that prior to this time, all efforts and entreaties by the community to make the contractor continue work on the project had
It said: “We, therefore, wish to inform you that the best option is to re-award the contract to a competent hand to ensure that the community is not shortchanged.” The group, which also petitioned Imo State House of Assembly Committee on Abandoned Projects, lauded the governor for awarding the contract for the construction of the road. It also appealed to the governor to ensure the project was not abandoned mid-way.