IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT  THE END OF THE 6TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE IMO STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (IMSUAA)  HELD AT GOLDEN TULIP HOTELS, YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE FROM THE 10TH - 14TH AUGUST 2023.

PREAMBLE

The Imo State University Alumni Association (IMSUAA) held its 6th Annual convention tagged GloryLand 2023, at Golden Tulip Hotels, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The Annual Convention and General Meeting was attended by over 200 Alumni members (including the IMSUAA President Barr Okey Ozumba and other officers) from across the 9 registered Chapters in IMSUAA . The Annual General meeting of the Association was presided by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Barr. Chinwe Mbakwem.

THE THEME:

The theme of the 2023 Convention/AGM is  "THE INSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS IN OUR SOCIO-CULTURAL EDUCATIONALISM: A TOOL FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. This theme guided the discussion during the courtesy call on the Chairman of Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers,  King Bubaraye Dakolo JP, as well as formed the bases for the convention lecture ably delivered by the Dean of Faculty of Humanities, Federal University, Otueke, Prof. Akachi Cornelius Odoemena, (an Alumnus of  Imo State University, Owerri).

RESOLUTIONS 

At the end if the AGM, which was attended by all chapters of the association, the following resolutions were reached:

THAT THE ALUMNI IMSU ALUMNI DENOUNCES SPLINTER GROUP, IMSU ALUMNI GLOBAL; ACCUSES THEM OF EXTORTING STUDENTS

1. Commends and appreciates the Local Organising Committee (LOC (, National Convention Planning Committee (NCPC) for a job well done as well as the Bayelsa State (Gunshot) Chapter for hosting the convention.

2. Appreciates the Bayelsa State Government for the peace & progress recorded in the State and for appointing our member, Hon. Tonyon Ebitei as Commissioner for Power. 

3. Strongly condemns in totality, the criminal activity going on in our Alma mater, the Imo State University, Owerri, whereby some members of the University management in active connivance with a band of renegades (who are no longer members of IMSUAA), criminally exploiting and extorting N5,000 from every graduating student of the institution, under the guise of "Alumni levy"  in the name IMSUAA and sharing the money amongst themselves without the knowledge of the Imo State University Pro-Chancellor, the Visitor to the University and the unsuspecting public.

4. The Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, (in his capacity as Visitor to the University & Grand Patron of IMSUAA) and the Pro-Chancellor of the Imo State University Owerri are enjoined to immediately institute a forensic audit of the Alumni levy collection and disbursement from its inception till date and put a stop to the apparent criminality going in that space, to serve as a deterrent to other impostors as well as restore the dignity of the University and the integrity of IMSUAA.

5. Disassociates herself and members of the IMSU ALUMNI  from the so-called CONVENTION being planned by the "GLOBAL IMSU GRADUATES" in an attempt to pass off as the Imo State University Alumni to unsuspecting members of the public. The promoters of the said convention are expelled  members of IMSUAA  who were pilloried for financial malfeasance and for illegally collecting and sharing Alumni levy from graduating students in the name of  IMSUAA without the authorisation of  IMSUAA BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

6. Mandates NEC  to use all lawful means to stop the criminal enterprise ongoing in the University with reference to the collection and disbursement of the "Alumni Dues".

7. Encourages the Imo State Government and her officials and  Management of the Imo State University and the general public to stay away from such illegal activity/Convention as the IMSUAA Board of Trustees has not authorised the holding of any such convention in the name of IMSU Alumni having obtained a subsisting Court Order (Suit No. HOW/931/2021 The Incorporated Trustees Of Imo State University Alumni & 2 ORS V. Prince Ferdinand Akano & Dr Anayo Uhiara) restraining Ferdinand Akano, Dr Anayo Uhiara, their agents and privies or anyone acting on their behalf from holding any convention in the name of IMSU Alumni. 

8. Mandates NEC to reopen a channel of communication with the University Management to strengthen the partnership between the Alumni and the University with a view to facilitating the growth of the institution. 

9. Implores all members of IMSUAA to take ownership of the association through proactive participation and financial contributions to the IMSU Alumni and our Alma Mater.

10. Awarded Abia State Chapter of IMSUAA the hosting right for the 2024 Convention/AGM. 

Barr. Chinwe Mbakwem 

BOT CHAIRMAN 

Ik Ogbonna, fcai, anipr 

 SECRETARY-GENERAL

..... Describes him as the Choosen one.

Yesterday 6th August 2023, An award of Honor was bestowed on Mr. Obinna Bright Ekwebelem the Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party SDP in recognition and appreciation for his immense contributions & Meritorious services to God and Humanity.

The award was given by the Anglican Youth Fellowship of Diocese of Mbaise, which was held at St. Andrew’s Ang. Church Obizi, Obizi Archdeaconry during their Annual Youth Diocesan Conference.

Presenting the award, the Bishop of Mbaise Diocese, Rt. Rev. Chamberlain C. Ogunedo Msc. (JP), through Ven. A. C. Otuonye the Diocesan Youth Chaplain described Ekwebelem as an upward mobile young man who supports the Church. 

Receiving the award, Mr. Eluwa Ifeanyi  Henry the Caretaker Committee Chairman of SDP who represented Mr. Obinna Bright Ekwebelem alongside friends and well-wishers thanked the Youths for honoring him and pledged to do more as he likes supporting the church whenever he is called upon.

Th Youths of the Diocese on their own described Ekwebelem as the chosen one for the Imo Guber seat that is vacant. According to the Youth President, Bro. Tochi Nwogu “We have seen who to support. He is a new breed technocrat with no political stain. We also do not want recycled politicians that have taken us for granted”.

The highpoint of the event was the decoration and handing over the award to the recipient and Governor in waiting, Mr. Ekwebelem.

The Super Falcons are to face England in the round of 16 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria finished runners-up in Group B with five points after a goalless draw with Ireland on Monday.

A day after that, the Lionesses trounced China 1-6 to confirm the matchup with Coach Randy Waldrum’s girls. England, the European champions, finished winners of Group D with nine points while Denmark got six points to come second on the log. The Danes play co-hosts Australia in the next game.

Nigeria’s round of 16 game against the Lionesses is billed for Monday, August 7th, 2023 by 8:30 am.

In a robust operation aimed at curbing the enforcement of the unlawful sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), combined troops from the 82 Division Nigerian Army, sister security services, Nigeria Police and other security agencies have successfully raided and destroyed hideouts and training camps of the IPOB/ESN in the Orsomoghu forest which spans across Anambra and Imo States.

This operation, executed on Monday 31 July 2023, was prompted by alerts of the group’s disruptive activities in several regions including Onitsha, Nnewi, and Iheme Obosi in Anambra State, as well as the New Market in Enugu state. Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement on Tuesday disclosed that during the operation, troops cleared Ekeututu, Orsomoghu, Lilu, and Mother Valley camps, belonging to the separatist group. Encounters with armed fighters from the group led to exchanges of fire.

Despite the group’s deployment of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and locally fabricated mortar tubes, the valiant troops overcame the resistance, causing the militants to flee their positions with gunshot wounds. The subsequent search operation by the troops led to the arrest of five fleeing group members and the recovery of an IPOB flag, a CCTV camera, two detonated IED bombs, and a fabricated mortar tube. Unfortunately, five soldiers and two Nigeria Police operatives sustained various degrees of injuries from the IEDs detonated by the criminals.

The Nigerian Army urged all law-abiding citizens of the South East to continue their normal daily activities and businesses, disregarding the unlawful two-week sit-at-home order. They also encouraged citizens to support ongoing operations with actionable information. The Army, in synergy with sister services and security agencies, vows to persistently protect and safeguard lives and property within the framework of the law.

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee probing employment racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) by agencies of the Federal Government has directed that directed that the Nigerian Army, Navy, Airforce and the Police as well the intelligence agencies, among others, to appear before it on Wednesday. Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, who handed down the directive during a hearing of the Ad hoc Committee on Tuesday expressed displeasure over their absence even though they were duly invited. 

According to Hon. Gagdi "Let me say this to all agencies we have invited, I think we need to read their names clearly here. They are the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, the Nigerian Communication Commission, the Nigerian Post Services, the Nigerian frequency management Council, Galaxy backbone, National Identity management Commission, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Fire Service, Nigerian Police Force, Defence Intelligence Agency, State Security Service, national Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Airforce, Nigerian Navy must appear tomorrow since they have failed to appear today. This is the ruling of the committee,"

Also appearing at the hearing, the Accountant General of the Federation has said her office is working hard to fish out ghost workers who existed in the system before the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). She also denied allegations that her office was engaging in the enrolment of ghost workers for personal gains as her office was working hard to address problems with the IPPIS.

According to her “As of today we have 640 MDAs registered on the IPPIS, enrolled on the IPPIS, because there are some that are not on the IPPIS like all the security agencies, federal government owned enterprises that generate revenue, they are not on IPPIS. Then self-funding agencies are not on IPPIS. Some parastatals that have different arrangements for the payment of their salaries like those that are receiving first line transfers like the National Assembly are not on the IPPIS and so many others like that. So if we put the number of those outside IPPIS, it may get to over 900. Except if an Act of the National Assembly makes it compulsory that all government agencies must be on IPPIS.”

In a related development, Director of the IPPIS, Emma Deko, accused some universities of sending more names than required to be captured on the system.

The Senate, on Wednesday, set up a committee to dialogue with protesting unions who broke down the National Assembly Complex first gate. The protesters in their hundreds had marched from the Unity Fountain in Abuja to the NASS Complex in demonstration against the “anti-poor” people policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration. Upon their arrival at the NASS Complex, the protesters pull down the first gate of the Complex and marched to the premises.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio immediately entered into a closed-door session with the lawmakers and upon his emergence from the meeting said the red chamber has set up a three-man committee to meet with the protesters at the National Assembly. The committee was led by Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, from Borno South Senatorial District. The Senate also resolved that it will in the shortest possible time meet with the NLC and TUC leadership to find an amicable resolution to the current impasse.

Ndume alongside two other lawmakers — Senator Ireti Kingibe and Senator Tony Nwonye — later met with the protesters at the National Assembly. The Senators were seen engaging Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero; and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo. The Organised Labour including the NLC, the TUC and their affiliate unions, today, kicked off a protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and other states of the Federation including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo. 

Tinubu had removed subsidy on petrol during his epic inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, with a litre of the petrol jumping from N184 to over N620 and food prices and general inflation galloping at an unprecedented rate.