Month: September 2023

 

Enugu:  The Police Command in Enugu State has cordoned off the site of the collapsed building in the Mgbemena axis of Coal Camp within Enugu metropolis.

The Command also initiated a thorough investigation in the incident that killed four persons.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on Saturday in Enugu.

“On Sept. 1 at about 7.40pm, a bungalow situated in a valley at 1B Umeh Agric Quarters, Mgbemene, Coal Camp, Enugu, collapsed, trapping its occupants, among whom are six children, who are siblings.

“Two of them were rescued alive, while the lifeless bodies of four others were recovered, taken to the hospital and were confirmed dead by doctors on duty.

“Their corpses have been deposited in the mortuary for preservation,” Ndukwe said.

He said that the police had contacted and invited the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for necessary disaster management actions. (Flowerbudnews)

 

By Flowerbudnews
Enugu: The Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA) has confirmed four children of the same family killed in a building collapse in the Agric Quarters in the Mgbemena axis of Coal Camp in Enugu.

The Chairman of ECTDA, Mr Uche Anya, made the confirmation to journalists on Saturday after inspecting the site of the collapsed building.

Anya noted that the bungalow building located at the Agric Quarters in Coal Camp area collapsed on Friday night around 8pm after a downpour.

He said the structure was approved for animal husbandry but was converted for residential.

While lamenting that the collapsed building was not healthy for human residence, the ECTDA chairman revealed that the structure had 44 rooms with about 200 residents.

“As soon as we got the intelligence, we rushed to the place. Four children died in the episode.

“It was danger waiting to happen. The construction was irresponsible.

“The place should never have been occupied by human beings. In fact, go there and see.

“Apparently, they claim that they are doing animal husbandry and poultry there but it turned out that there are 44 rooms that human beings are occupying and there must have a population of over 200 people there.

“The fence line was totally unacceptable, nobody does that, and unfortunately, the people we lost in that tragedy are innocent children and it is very painful,” Anya added.

The chairman said that the agency would continue to sensitise the public on the need to live a more conducive environment to avoid future occurrence of the unfortunate incident.

According to him, the compliance unit of the agency under his leadership would ensure that structures erected by landlords and contractors adhere strictly to the approval plan.

The ECTDA also gave immediate quit notice to residents of the building and four other buildings close to the scene of the incident.(Flowerbudnews)

– Says it a mere academic exercise, waste of judicial time.

By Flowerbudnews

Abuja”: The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Enugu North and South National Assembly Elections, Hon. Juliet Egbo, against the victory of Hon. Chimaobi Sam Atu of the Labour Party (LP).

Delivering the ruling hours ago, the five man Justices unanimously dismissed the petition brought by Hon Egbo for lacking in merit.

Egbo was challenging the nomination of Hon. Atu and voters’ intimidation during the election.

However, the three man panel at the National Assembly Elections petition tribunal in Enugu dismissed the petition in July for lack of merit. Not satisfied with the decision of the tribunal, the APC proceeded to the Court of Appeal, Abuja which later agreed with the decision of the tribunal.

 

The Court of Appeal added that the appeal was a mere academic exercise and a waste of judicial time.

 

The judgment has put an end to the protracted legal battle between the LP and APC candidates in the February 18, 2023 National Assembly Election in Enugu North and South Federal Constituency.

 

Recall that Hon. Atu was declared winner of the February elections with over 65,000 votes to defeat a three term House of Representatives Member, Hon Ofor Chukwuegbo of the PDP and Hon Juliet Egbo of APC.

 

Addressing a gathering of supporters and constituents in Enugu, Hon Chimaobi Atu, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support and trust placed in his leadership by people of Enugu North and South Federal Constituency.

 

According to him, the victory in the courtroom mirrors the collective will and the steadfast commitment to upholding democratic values.

 

“This judgment has brought to a close the arduous legal contest that has shadowed our shared victory,”

 

“I stand here today, resolute and dedicated to the ideals of my party and the Obidient Movement and the aspirations of my constituents.

 

“We pledge to redouble our efforts, working tirelessly to fulfill the promises we made during the campaigns.

 

“The legal battle, marked by rigorous scrutiny and comprehensive examination of the petition, has ultimately reaffirmed the choice made by the people during the February elections,” he said.

 

Atu said that the Court of Appeal’s ruling “is a testament to the strength of the democratic institutions in our nation and their commitment to upholding the will of the people”.

 

He added that he was extending gratitude to God for guiding the journey and ensuring that justice prevailed.

 

“The victory in the courtroom serves as a resounding affirmation of the people’s faith in the democratic process and in their representatives,” he explained.

 

Reacting to the ruling, the APC candidate, Hon. Juliet Egbo, said she was not satisfied with the decisions of both the Court of Appeal and the tribunal.

 

She, however, thanked her supporters for standing by her and believing in her capabilities. (Flowerbudnews)

TINUBU HEEDING CLARION CALL FOR A BETTER CREATIVE INDUSTRY: THE PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC EFFECT

By Muiz Olasubomi

A good leader is the one who listens. A listening leader is able to see the world through the eyes, thoughts, suggestions and ideas of others. This is one of the great leadership attributes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu possesses. This can only explain why he is promptly heeding the clarion call on the need to strengthen the country’s creative industry.

Recall that prior to the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there have been clamours by some individuals for the government to tap into the great potentials of the creative industry which contributes significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Occupying a prominent place on the list of the notable personalities that have been at the forefront of the campaign for a more productive creative sector is the former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Shina Peller, who represented Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency at the ninth National Assembly.

Indeed, Honourable Peller’s last motion as a lawmaker at the ninth Assembly was – THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE NIGERIAN CREATIVE INDUSTRY – where he stressed that the creative industry is a veritable incremental source of employment, revenue and economic growth that the government can strengthen as it seeks to diversify the economy from dependency on oil revenue.

In the motion, the former lawmaker had prayed that the House urged the federal government to create and execute policies to strengthen the creative industry. He also prayed that for optimal performance of the creative industry, the House should implore the federal government to increase the budgetary allocation of the then Ministry of Infomation and Culture which was overseeing the industry at the time. Commendably, the House, under the leadership of the present Chief of Staff to the president, Rt. Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, unanimously adopted the motion.

Also in his congratulatory message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his formal inauguration, Honourable Peller who is the Ayedero of Yorubaland, re-emphasised the need for the new president to prioritise strengthening the country’s creative industry among numerous policies that his government would be making to enhance Nigeria’s economic growth.

Today, it is gladdening to note that President Tinubu is not just honouring the call to strengthen the creative industry, but has even gone a step ahead by purposely elevating the industry to a sector with a ministry of its own – Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy. This is quite commendable; it shows that the president is a listening leader who understands that welcoming different kinds of great opinions and suggestions will bring about desirable results.

Similarly, the advent of the Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy shows that Mr. President means well for the creative industry which will be beneficial to the teeming youth population and is ready to tap into its great economic value by creating coherent policies that establish clear objective and strategies for it to thrive.

Now that President Tinubu has created a platform for the creative sector to thrive, functional minds will definitely be looking forward to a desirable effect it will have on Nigeria’s economy as a whole. This is where the creativity, thoughtfulness, initiative and leadership quality of the minister, Hannatu Musawa, will come into play.

Hopefully, with her impressive educational background and exposure Hannatu Musawa, who is a lawyer, writer and poet, will ensure that the purpose the ministry is meant for is fulfilled. As she champions a dynamic renaissance for the creative domain as spelt out in her blueprint dubbed Destination 2030, Nigerians, particularly the major stakeholders, should cooperate with her bearing in mind that the creative economy is now one of the largest consumers of digital services.

While there is no single definition of the creative economy, the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says that it is the intersection of human creativity and technology or products that have economic value, including everything from content creation and art to architecture, research and manufacturing.

With the minister’s recently-released blueprint, it is believed that that she is aware that Nigeria’s creative sector is a thriving industry driven by young and talented individuals. From film to music and fashion, the country’s creative sector holds significant global influence and has the potential to become a prominent exporter of Nigerian culture.

Creative industry include and not limited to advertising, architecture (interior decor, landscaping etc.) arts and crafts, fashion and design, home video(film) television and radio, music, performing arts (carnivals, dance, drama, festivals, stand-up comedy) publishing (book fairs, e-resources, literature etc) tourism and hospitality (cuisine, museums and monuments, night clubs and event management etc).

Moreover, with our impressive cultural values and heritage as a country , culture is another vital tool that we can leverage to boost our economy. Nigeria is a multi-cultural nation with almost four hundred diverse ethnic groups and over five hundred different native languages.

Our cultural strength as a country lies in our diversity and we must make it count positively. As a matter of fact, our culture should be seen as a catalyst for creativity and desired transformative change.

Finally, if the purpose of the advent of the Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy is fulfilled, history will be kind to President Tinubu’s administration for this commendable move, Honourable Shina Peller for his motion and advocacy, as well as to numerous others who contributed in one way or another to making it happen.

Muiz writes from Ikeja, Lagos State

 

Oyo Govt ready to promote Iyake Festival to Int’l Standard -Oba Folakanmi

By Adewale Owoade

The Alado of Ado Awaye Kingdom, Oba Ademola Folakanmi, has commended efforts by the Oyo State government to raise the Iyake festival to an international tourism standard.

Oba Folakanmi gave the commendation at a news conference in Ibadan, ahead of the planned 3rd edition of the Iyake international festival scheduled to hold between Nov. 14 and 16 in Ado-Awaye, Oyo State.

According to him, the Iyake lake is the only naturally suspended lake in the world and known for its healing power.
He said the lake was recently affirmed and rated third among the Nigeria wonders, and the most famous tourist centre in the state.

“The festival is meant to create a foremost brand of tourism in Oyo State, Nigeria and the African continent and to showcase many of the outstanding endowments in Ado mountain, the only naturally suspended lake in the world.

“The Iyake lake has significantly increased investments in infrastructure around and within Ado Awaye through robust Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

”The 2023 Yake festival is highly important as the planning committee is working towards externalising the festival scope to neighboring countries like Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire and even Brazil and other Western World,” Oba Folakanmi said.

Also, the Curator,  National Museum of Unity, Oyo State, Mrs Otuka Oriyomi, said the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Prof. Abba  Tijani,  is working hard to make Ado Awaye a world cultural heritage centre.

“Ado Awaye is also under National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), and one of the things our DG, Prof. Aba Isa Tijani is doing is to make sure Ado Awaye gets to be a world cultural heritage centre, and we have started talking to a lot of visitors,” Oriyomi stated

In the same vein, the Oyo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, gave kudos to the Gov. Seyi Makinde’s administration for its unwavering commitment to the development of culture and tourism,  by creating enabling environment.

Olatunbosun, who was represented by the Director (Tourism), Mrs Adejoke Agboola, said that the rehabilitation of the lake through a Public Private Partnership arrangement was in progress.

“This festival will have direct and indirect impact on the people of Oyo State and the state as a whole in terms of revenue generation.

“Arrangements are in top gear to rehabilitate the suspended lake at Ado Awaye, through Public Private Partnership arrangement, the state is therefore calling on genuine credible and serious minded investors to partner with us,” Olatunbosun said.(NAN)