Ihedioha’s dumping of PDP, lecturer’s sexual assault on scholar, different prime tales from South-east

The previous week was eventful in Nigeria’s South-east, the place each stunning and unhappy occasions made headlines.

It was the final week of April 2024.

Listed here are the highlights of the highest tales that made headlines within the area throughout the previous week:

Ex-Imo governor, Emeka Ihedioha, dumps PDP

We set off the week, on 21 April, with our report on the resignation of a former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, from the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP).

Mr Ihedioha introduced his resignation from the PDP in a letter addressed to the chairperson of the occasion in his Mbutu Ward in Aboh Mbaise Native Authorities Space of the state.

The letter, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was dated 23 April 2024.

The previous governor cited incapability of the occasion to hold out reform as a cause for his resignation.

The event indicators that the PDP could also be step by step dropping its agency grip of the South-east the place it had loved dominance since 1999.

Nigerian governor slashes college’s tuition charges, will increase employees’ salaries

We additionally introduced you a cheering report, on 21 April, of how Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State slashed the tutoring charges of undergraduates of Ebonyi State College.

Mr Nwifuru additionally permitted the increment of salaries of each tutorial and non-academic workers of the state-owned establishment by 20 and 10 per cent, respectively.

The governor introduced this on 21 April through the twelfth to fifteenth mixed convocation ceremony of the college, in line with an announcement by his spokesperson, Monday Uzor.

Mr Nwifuru additionally introduced that indigenes of the state who graduate with first-class levels will probably be provided automated employment as graduate assistant lecturers.

Lecturer’s tried sexual assault towards scholar

It was a stunning day, final Monday, when a lecturer on the College of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) allegedly tried to sexually molest a married feminine scholar within the establishment.

The lecturer, Mfonobong Udoudom, works on the Common Research Programme (GSP) Unit of the college, the place he teaches Peace and Battle Decision and Nigerian Individuals and Tradition.

Mr Udoudom was seen in a viral video clip placing on solely shorts in his workplace the place he was mentioned to have tried to molest the scholar.

The college authorities would later announce the indefinite suspension of the lecturer, including that he can be punished after investigation.

The most recent improvement highlights the rising incidence of sexual assaults in Nigerian tertiary establishments.

Barely eight months in the past, Cyril Ndifon, a regulation professor on the College of Calabar, was indicted for sexually harassing his college students.

Mr Ndifon has since been suspended as dean of the College of Legislation of the establishment and is presently dealing with trial at a Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja.

Abia Meeting, speaker refuse to inaugurate PDP member declared elected by Attraction Courtroom

On Wednesday, we reported how Abia State Home of Meeting and its Speaker refused to inaugurate a PDP candidate who was declared elected by the Courtroom of Attraction in Lagos State.

The PDP member, Aaron Uzodike, misplaced within the 18 March 2023 Home of Meeting election for Abia North State Constituency to his Labour Get together rival, Future Nwangwu.

Nevertheless, the PDP candidate challenged the victory of Mr Nwangwu on the Courtroom of Attraction the place he was declared because the winner of the train on 27 November.

Mr Uzodike advised PREMIUM TIMES that, on 14 December 2023, he submitted all of the paperwork wanted for his inauguration to the Home of Meeting, however the speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, insisted that he wouldn’t be inaugurated as a result of there was an order from “above” towards his inauguration.

The Speaker of the Abia State Home of Meeting, Mr Emeruwa, declined to talk when contacted on Tuesday for feedback.

Mr Emeruwa answered the PREMIUM TIMES reporter’s name, however the reporter was nonetheless presenting the matter when the speaker interrupted him.

“I don’t need to discuss this now,” he retorted.

He was pressed additional for feedback.

“Simply go to the Federal Excessive Courtroom of Attraction, Abuja. Search for the judgement of 27 February 2024. That will provide you with the knowledge,” he mentioned and instantly ended the decision.

There isn’t any courtroom in Nigeria referred to as the “Federal Excessive Courtroom of Attraction” being referred to by the speaker.

Nigerian girl breaks Guinness World File with longest interview marathon

Final Wednesday was an thrilling day for Clara Chizoba Kronborg, a Nigerian Youtuber and social media entrepreneur.

It was the day she broke the Guinness world file for the longest interviewing marathon with a time of 55 hours 24 seconds.

Ms Kronborg interviewed 90 folks of varied nationalities and occupations, together with politicians, enterprise house owners, content material creators, actors, actual property brokers amongst others.

Her success got here after she overcame a number of obstacles to realize the feat.

Though the feat went viral throughout Nigeria, it was extensively celebrated within the South-east, notably in Anambra State the place she hails from.

The brand new feat highlights the impact of Hilda Baci on many Nigerians.

Since June 2023 when Ms Baci, the Nigerian Jollof Queen, achieved a brand new Guinness World File for the longest cook-a-thon, many Nigerians have been making makes an attempt at setting or breaking world data in numerous spheres of life.

Guinness World Information, sooner or later, mentioned that they had obtained some 1,500 purposes from Nigerians in simply two months.

Abia Meeting summons police commissioner, others over killing of entrepreneur

The seek for justice continued on Tuesday for the killing of an entrepreneur by a police officer in Abia State when the State Meeting summoned within the Commissioner of Police within the state, Kene Onwuemelie, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Speaker of the Home of Meeting, Emmanuel Emeruwa, in a put up on his verified X deal with on Wednesday, mentioned the Home additionally resolved to summon heads of different safety businesses within the state over the incident.

Mr Emeruwa mentioned the commissioner and heads of different safety businesses would seem earlier than the Home subsequent Tuesday.

The entrepreneur, Emmanuel Okocha, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, died on Friday, 19 April, within the state after a police operative shot him for allegedly refusing to offer bribe to a group of police operatives.

The late Okocha hailed from Abiriba, a neighborhood in Ohafia Native Authorities Space within the South-eastern state.

The operatives had been reportedly from the Fast Response Squad of the police within the state.

They had been mentioned to have demanded a bribe from the sufferer regardless of having his full car paperwork and driver’s licence.

Ex-Nigerian Senator, Ayogu Eze, is lifeless

It was a tragic day on Thursday, with the passing of a former Nigerian senator, Ayogu Eze, who died in an Abuja hospital.

Mr Eze, who represented the Enugu North District between 2007 and 2015, died on the age of 66.

He received his elections and served as a senator on the platform of the PDP.

However he died a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having defected to the occasion in 2018.

In 2015, the politician sought to change into governor of Enugu State, however was defeated within the PDP main by Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who ultimately received within the basic election.

In 2018, Mr Eze defected to the APC on which platform he sought to contest the 2019 governorship election within the state, however later withdrew over omission of his title within the ultimate record of candidates participating within the election.

Though his demise was thought of a nationwide loss, he was closely mourned within the South-east, notably in Enugu State the place he hails from.

Suspected unlawful safety guards arrested in Anambra

We additionally introduced you a report final Friday that the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Anambra State arrested eight unlawful safety guards within the state.

The NSCDC Commandant in Anambra State, Olatunde Maku, introduced this on Thursday whereas parading the suspects, in line with an announcement by the company’s spokesperson within the state, Edwin Okadigbo.

Mr Maku mentioned the suspects had been arrested throughout a current crackdown on unlicensed non-public safety guards in Awka, simply as he warned operators of unlawful non-public safety outfits in Anambra State to desist from the act or face the implications.

The event is worrisome provided that Anambra State and your entire South-east have witnessed rising insecurity in current instances.

Junior Pope’s burial date

Final Friday, we introduced you one other report that the household of the Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, who died early April, has introduced his burial date.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Odonwodo, popularly referred to as Junior Pope, and 4 different actors drowned after their boat capsized in Anam River in Anambra State on 10 April whereas getting back from a film shoot.

Based on the household’s announcement through the actor’s burial poster, Mr Odonwodo’s burial preparations started on 23 April with a requiem mass at Saint John-Mary Vianney Parish, Asaba, Delta State.

The burial preparations will come to a crescendo on Friday 17 Could when the stays of the Nollywood actor will lastly be laid to relaxation at his nation residence after a burial mass at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Ukehe.

The preparations will probably be wrapped up with a thanksgiving mass on the Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Ukehe, on 20 Could.

Police arrest suspected cultists in Anambra, declare others wished

The police in Anambra State, on Saturday, introduced the arrest of 16 suspected cultists behind current killings in Awka, the state capital.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, in an announcement on Saturday, mentioned police authorities within the state additionally declared 21 others wished in reference to the killings.

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The event follows the rising cult-related assaults and killings in Awka in current instances.

A number of individuals had been reported killed in cult-related assaults within the final one month within the state capital.