The wife of Abia state governor, Lady Mercy Odochi Orji has directed the immediate release of 11 indigent nursing mothers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia over nonpayment their hospital bills totaling N1.017m after many months of their discharge.

Lady Orji who gave the directive at the Nkasiobi ward of the hospital where she has gone to pay the traditional homage to the state 2013 “Baby of the Year”, little Miss Favour Chimezie Uchendu from Obowo, Imo state and who was however born at Amachara General Hospital at 1.40am and 3.5kg on the new year day but admitted at the FMC also promised to pay of the hospital bills of Messers Ufere Ibe (158,000), Sylvanus Umoh (N364, 000) both of the male surgical ward and Mrs Ndidi Nwobike (N41,000) a pregnant woman on admission to help her offset some of her bills about to be computed.

The indigent nursing mothers who could not contain their joy and jubilation danced and sing songs of praises for Her Excellency thanked the wife of the governor for coming to their rescue as some of them have spent close to four months under the custody of the hospital due to inability to clear their debts and described her visit as timely on the first day of the year.

Lady Orji said that gestures was part of her humanitarian services to the people adding that apart from regular visit to hospitals and other forms of assistance to the indigents, she has made it an annual ritual during visit to the baby of the year to clear the hospital bills of nursing mothers being detained at hospital after child delivery to enable them go home and take proper care of their children.

The wife of the governor commended the medical personnel of the hospital and that of Amachara General Hospital for ensuring safe delivery of their children and for their dedication and diligent to duty stating that the challenges of the profession was demanding but urged them not to relent in showing compassion and care to the sick as a way of helping them recover quickly.

Lady Orji also visited little Master Emmanuel Ndudi from Uturu, Isuikwuator Local government of Abia state who was the first baby to be born at FMC Umuahia at 6am and weighed 2.5kg commended the hospitals personnel for ensuring the safe delivery of the two children and other babies in the hospitals and thanked God for blessing the families of Uchendu and Ndudi with the fruits of the womb favour.

The wife of the governor later distributed various gifts items to the Baby of the year, Master Ndudi and other newly born babies in the hospital. In a vote of thanks, the Matron of the ward, Mrs Uduma Ezra thanked her Excellency for her magnanimity towards the less privileged and her regular visit to the hospital during which she clears hospital bills of patients and urged her not to relent.

Tehran: The Iranian Navy has “successfully” test-fired missiles and torpedoes in an ongoing naval drill, the official media reported.
The six-day drill dubbed Velayat 91 was launched Friday in southern Iran.

The latest version of the indigenously built surface-to-air medium-range Ra’d (Thunder) missile and the short-range cruise missile Nasr (Victory) were tested.
Nasr can destroy vessels of up to 3,000 tonnes, Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said.

The navy also successfully test-fired torpedoes by destroying targets, Xinhua quoted the Press TV as saying.

Bayelsa State Government has presented cheques to the tune of N8.5 billion as mobilization fee for the construction of the Sagbama- Ekeremor, Yenagoa-Oporoma senatorial roads as well as the construction of an airstrip.

A breakdown of the figure indicated that N3 billion was paid for the mobilization of the Sagbama-Ekeremor road, which is to be handled by a reputable construction company, Dantata and Sawoe PLC and N2.5 billion for the construction of an airstrip by the same company.

Another cheque of N3bn was presented to the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company, (CCCEC), which would be in charge of the Oporoma-Yenagoa road.

Speaking at the presentation of the cheques, in Yenagoa Governor Seriake Dickson assured that adequate funds have been earmarked for the various projects, stating that it was incumbent on the contractors to work hard to ensure timely completion of the projects.

On the Nembe-Brass road, Governor Dickson said the project would be awarded early next year as new designs have been developed raising the road as high as 7 metres in view of the flooding that ravaged infrastructures including roads and bridges.

According to him, both the Nembe-Brass and Sagbama-Ekeremor roads are estimated to cost N90bn and government will construct the Nembe-Brass road in collaboration with the private sector.

Commenting on the airstrip project,expected to be completed within one year, Hon. Dickson said clearing has gone far on the site, situated along the Amassoma, Ogobiri and Egbedi axis, which he noted do not require much sandfilling like the previous site.

He restated government’s policy on the introduction of some level of local content and directed the Minstry of Works and Infrastructure to ensure its implementation on the aspect of the sand filling of the site.

He pointed out that the presentation the cheques to the companies was a demonstration of government’s determination to open up the hinterlands by undertaking the construction of the senatorial roads and bring development closer to the rural dwellers and urged the youths to be supportive of the contractors to enable them deliver on the projects on time.

In their separate responses, representatives of the Dantata group, Hamza Nasco and the Project Manager of CCEC, Gillio Costa, commended Governor Dickson for his commitment to the development of the state.

Representatives of the firms assured that they would deliver on schedule towards meeting the expectation of government.

Bayelsa state governor, Hon Seriake Dickson Monday signed the state emergency agency and three other bills into law.

Also assented to were the Bayelsa state institute of tourism, catering and hotel management bill, house of assembly service commission amendment as well as the state local government (amendment no 6) bills all of 2012.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at the executive chambers of government house, Yenagoa, Hon. Dickson noted that with the passage and consequent signing of the bills, government has provided itself the needed legal backing to tackle critical aspects of its restoration agenda.

According to the Governor, the emergency agency bill empowers the state government to establish an institution to plan for and manage emergencies including flood, fire outbreak and epidemics.

Governor Dickson who promised to empanel a team of qualified personnel soon to oversee the activities of the interventionist agency, announced his administration’s readiness to also establish an institute to train middle-level catering and tourism practitioners

The aim, according to Hon. Dickson is to prepare the State for the envisaged tourism and hospitality boom in the State

His word: “As a result of our combined efforts that have bought about peace, security and stability in this state, and other conscious efforts to diversify the base of our economy by investing massively in agriculture and tourism, we thought that an institution like this should quickly be put together, so that we can begin to train our youths on how to fit into that initial aspect of our economy.

Restating his administration determination to continuously create avenues for youths to acquire requisite skills, Governor Dickson urged them to avail themselves of the new vista of opportunities being provided by government.

While announcing government’s intention to establish a school of Agriculture in the State, next year, the leadership and members of the State House of Assembly for the expeditions passage of the bills.

Earlier, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Kombowei Benson said the four bills were received this year.

According to the speaker, a total of 22 bills passed by the House from February 20^th, 2012 have been signed into law.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has commiserated with the Oduah family on the death of the patriarch of their family, Mr. Victor Oduah, former captain of Nigeria’s national football team, the Green Eagles.

In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, Comrade Oshiomhole said “on behalf of the government and people of Edo State, I wish to commiserate with the Oduah family on the death of their patriarch, Mr. Victor Oduah.

“His death, no doubt leaves a wide vacuum which would be difficult to fill. We remember his exploits as a quality defender in the Bendel Insurance Football Club and how he led the National football team, the Green Eagles to its first triumph, winning Gold at the 1973 All Africa Games.

“With his passage, Edo state and indeed Nigeria has lost a patriot who gave his all in his chosen field.

“Even as we mourn, we are consoled that he a lived a life worthy of emulation and that his contributions to the nation remain indelible.

“We pray for the repose of his gentle soul and beseech God to comfort the family that he has left behind.”

The ACN party in a communiqué issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos Sunday lambasted Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, for making himself a supplier of lies and for having the audacity to condemn ACN and upholding the PDP led government.

According to the party, only a corrupt and indecent government could pick such a corrupt man as its spokesperson.

ACN observed that the government’s claim, through Okupe, that it would generate 780,000 jobs in the year 2013 through the “Young Graduate Employment Scheme” and 5,000 jobs in each of the 36 states through SURE-P was one of the latest examples of the administration’s lies.

It said: “Our advice to the teeming young graduates who have no jobs is that they should not allow themselves to be hoodwinked by this promise. They should remember that this same administration promised to create 10,000 jobs in each of the 36 states through SURE-P in 2012. The year is over and all we have now are phantom jobs and more fake promises.”

The party advised Nigerians to put their generators in order, noting that the government’s promise of a stable power supply in 2013 was as not viable.

“The administration said it has generated an all-time high 4,500MW and will increase the number to 7,000MW in 2013. What a celebration of tokenism! In the first instance, the government should be ashamed to tell Nigerians it has been able to generate only 4,500MW from a huge expenditure of 16 billion dollars,” it said.

“Also, no one needs a rocket scientist to know that 4,500MW cannot ensure stable electricity supply in a country of 160 million people, when South Africa, with less than a third of Nigeria’s population, generates over 40,000MW!

The party also faulted the administration’s claim that the bombings and killings in the North had decreased from January to December, calling it “fabricated cold comfort and a disservice to millions of our citizens who are daily being subjected to terror attacks, while President Jonathan, now a professional mourner, resorts to endless lamentation instead of decisive action.”

“Well, we are not surprised at the claim of reduced terror attacks by the Jonathan administration. After all, the same administration claimed that global anti-corruption body, Transparency International (TI) acknowledged Nigeria’s progress in fighting corruption, when nothing like that ever happened.”

“To set the record straight, 750 people have been killed in terror attacks in the North this year, a figure higher than about 570 who were killed in 2011 and not counting the latest killings in Borno and Adamawa states,’’ it said.

The Tinubu’s led party urged Jonathan’s administration to buckle up instead of depending on a ‘hypocritical’ spokesman to feed Nigerians with lies under the umbrella of a failed government.