By Ejike Anyaduba
Divine Rays British School (DRBS) Obosi, Anambra State, may not easily provoke the attention accorded a few schools presumed to be the best in Nigeria perhaps because of its relative newness. But the school which is barely six years old has no less grooming skill than the best, and has since attained academic grandeur yet to be equaled by any of its contemporaries. In fact, the achievements of schools its age if pitted against the DRBS's, easily pale in comparison.
The South-East Coordinator of NEMA, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, disclosed this to newsmen in Enugu on Monday, while fielding questions on NEMA’s practical steps to contain and reduce impact of flooding in the zone.
Members of Association of Tricycle Riders Transport Union (ATRTU) Enugu State have given a vote-of-confidence on its current Chairman, Mr Sunday Ozeh, for his exemplary and people-focused leadership.
The ATRTU union members also gave a vote-of-confidence on its current Board Chairman, Mr Benjamin Ikah, for his exemplary fatherly guidance and peaceful disposition.
WaterAid Nigeria and South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) have presented “A Pillar of Water Sector Award” to Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his visionary focus on water provision.
Evelyn Mere, Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, presented the award on behalf of the NGOs during the inauguration of the 20,000-litre motorized borehole in Ukwuinyi community of Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State on Saturday.
Amb. Bianca Ojukwu, Wife of Late Igbo Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reiterated the call for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who a competent court have declared free.
Ojukwu made the call during her keynote address at the Annual National Conference and Convention of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) in Dallas, Texas in USA.
A cleric, Rev. Fr. Cyril Ozioko, has urged Christians to imbibe virtues of forthrightness and truth in order to build a community and neighbourhood of reconciliation and peace.
Ozioko gave the charge during a homily on Sunday at the First Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving of newly ordained, Rev. Fr. Samuel Ali, held at the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Umuopu in Enugu-Ezike community in Enugu State.
The mass featured Owelle Ejikeme Odumegwu Foundation (OEOF) donation and presentation of a brand new car to the newly ordained, Rev. Fr. Ali.
The OEOF Foundation also instituted a scholarship scheme for two fresh senior seminary students from Umuopu in Enugu-Ezike community and a monthly stipend of N100,000 for the parish priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Umuopu, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Ugwu.
Ozioko, who spoke on the sidelines of the theme: “What About Your Own Faith”, said that the Christian faith is about the ministry of reconciliation and peaceful co-existence.
The cleric noted that a true child of God would not tear or scatter people apart but always help to pull people together
According to him, by being instrument of peace and reconciliation, it will be clear to the great witness of people around us that we are truly of Him and duly follow Jesus Christ footsteps.
“We must be peace builders as Christians and ensure we truly reconcile people around us, who live in hate and disagreement especially on temporal things or issues of this passing World,” he said.
The cleric also urged the faithful to continue in their prayers of faith as well as good work as they await a progressive and prosperous nation.
“With faith in God, everything is possible especially to him who truly believes.
“We must drop fear, negative perception and notion but face the future with positive faith that things must surely get well.
“When we trust God, we should do it whole-heartedly. As the Lord that called us unto righteousness and truth is always faithful on His own part,” he said.
For the newly ordained Rev. Fr. Ali, the cleric urged him to stand out in his priestly duties, work of charity and mercy towards everybody around him especially the Christian community.
“Remember, you have been consecrated for life; and you must focus on your ministry and reflect on it daily.
”You must be patient, listen to people, be humble, do not get greedy, and wait for God’s personal uplift,” he advised.
Responding, the newly ordained, Rev. Fr. Samuel Ali, thanked everyone that came for the thanksgiving as well as OEOF foundation for the donation of a brand new car to him and other donations to the Church.
Ali, who was consecrated from the Holy Ghost Fathers Order, said: “I am overwhelmed with you great show of love to me and my new ministry and I assure you that by God’s willing, your prayers and support; I continue to make you proud”.
Speaking, the Founder of Owelle Ejikeme Odumegwu Foundation (OEOF), Dr Ejikeme Odumegwu, said that his foundation was poised to assist the Church to achieve a holistic socio-cultural and religious transformation of the people.
Odumegwu, who is also the Owelle of Nsukka, said: “Before now, the foundation has renovated all the police stations in Enugu State and given numerous educational and skill empowerment scholarships to many youths in Enugu State.
“The foundation has off-set hospital bills of indigent sick patients in various hospitals and supported some churches building construction with thousands of bags of cement among others.”
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Festus Adedayo
When death became ubiquitous and cheap as air, afflicting the young and the old in their scores, Yoruba of old said it had become three-for-a-penny. There was what they called iyo olo’kan (one-penny salt). Ookan was a penny and the least of the denominations of the money of the time. A mound of salt was sold for a penny. Death that harvested people in their prime, unannounced, they also likened to creepy, parasitic mistletoe – afomo. It is a leathery-leaved parasitic plant which grows on apple, oak, and other broadleaf trees in the forest and also sticks to trees, either of cocoa or kolanut. Farmers watch out for an afomo on their crash crops because, the moment a tree gets infested with it, it is on its way to barrenness. While the mistletoe has no root of its own, it bores roots inside the trunk of its host and starves the tree of nutrients.
By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
Anambra State Disability Rights Commission (ANSDRC) last Wednesday marked one year anniversary, the group during the celebration honoured and
recognized six Disability Sports medalists and also presented certification to about twelve members trained in Information and Communication Technologies.
The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), a police advocacy and non-kinetic group, has urged government at all levels to establish high performance community sports centres.
The National Coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu, made the call on Friday in Enugu while speaking with newsmen on positive and futuristic way to engage youths gainfully for societal benefit.
Amaraizu noted that to achieve an effective youths’ engagement, there was urgent need for governments, stakeholders and multi-agencies to come up with high performance Community Sports Centers across in Nigerian to replace the outdated Games Villages.
“The establishment of high performance Community Sports Centres will afford those veritable platforms that encourage the giving back to the society philosophy through transfer of skills, knowledge and values to our young minds using the instrumentality of community sports.
“The move will thereby turn them (youths) into National and International Sports champions as well as a great socio economic benefit to the society as obtainable in other countries of the world.
“It will help to promote positive behaviours and creating a platform of life changing opportunities for our youths. The High performance Community Sports Centre will serve as spring board and athletes’ bank where they can be discovered, developed and harnessed.
“The Centre will also provide veritable opportunities for all athletes to imbibe Olympic educational values of excellence, respect and friendship as well as core values of sports such as fair-play, social justice, self discovery, and discipline among others,” he said.
According to him, sports remains a means of enhancing education, creation of employment opportunities, instrument for driving National Ideology, promotion of gender equality and promotion of social mobilization, harmony and national integration, strengthening of resilience among all.
Amaraizu, a certified Olympic Sports Administrator, called for effective sports policy that would encourage administration of sports by professionals and use of professional/qualified sports coaches to implement planned programme of action on sports development.
According to him, professional/qualified sports coaches and administrators should lead the sports sector rather than the usual all comers’ affairs and in order to achieve the desired goals.
“There should be effective coordination by the Athletes Development Centers of the National Institute For Sports (NIS) and active collaboration with Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Federal Ministry of Education (School Sports), community leaders, faith-based organizations and others.
“This will help in the effective mapping of these young minds who are energetic and showing signs of skills in various sporting events to be harnessed.
“It will also serve as a platform for alternative meaningful pathways to engagement and especially to those who are vulnerable and at risk of joining membership of Organized Criminal Groups (OCGS), unlawful societies for serious and organized crime,” he said.
The South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) through its Sister Guardian Initiative (SGI) has built the knowledge and empowerment capacity of rural women in 19 communities within Anambra and Enugu States.
The 19 rural communities included: Omor and Igbakwu communities in Anambra State: and Adani, Awha-Imezi, Awha-Ndiagu, Eke, Ihenyi, Orokoro, Afa-Amofia, Afa-Amozalla, Ezi-Nze, Ibute-Nze, Akpakwume, Obinagu-Nike, Umuode, Onuogba-Nike, Aduachi, Amankpunato and Nkpokolo communities in Enugu State
