News
Labour Party mourns Late Anambra Lawmaker, Azuka
The Labour Party has expressed deep sorrow over the assassination of Hon. Justice Azuka, a lawmaker representing Onitsha 1 North Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party described the incident as a shocking tragedy.
Azuka was abducted on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, while returning home via Ugwunaobankpa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha. His decomposing body was found near the 2nd Niger Bridge on Wednesday.
Ifoh lamented, “We are presently traumatized by this death and the rising wave of violence in Anambra State, which has become a dangerous Hobbesian environment under the administration of Prof. Charles Soludo.
“Anambra has descended into a state of chaos, where life has become nasty, brutish, and short because the current administration has lost the will to enforce law and order.”
He further recalled that the Labour Party candidate for the last governorship election, Obiora Agbasimelo, was also abducted during his campaign. Agbasimelo’s whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Ifoh added, “Neither the security agencies nor the government has provided answers, leaving his family traumatized. The primary responsibility of any government is to ensure the safety and welfare of its people — a constitutional duty that is currently lacking in Anambra State.”
The party decried the inability of the state government to rescue the abducted legislator, noting, “It is both unbelievable and unspeakable that a high-ranking figure like a legislator could be abducted for over a month without the government’s intervention.”
Although the police reportedly made some arrests, Ifoh called for “a proper and deeper investigation to uncover the real culprits.”
He emphasized that the Labour Party was not insinuating a political motive but acknowledged the context in which Azuka regained his legislative mandate through a court ruling that overturned the previous winner from another party.
The Labour Party urged its members in Anambra State to maintain peace and allow security agencies to conduct their investigations diligently.
Ifoh encouraged party members to remain resolute despite the unfortunate incident and focused on future endeavors.
“On behalf of the National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, the National Executive Committee, and the state executive committee, we pray that Almighty God grants the deceased eternal rest,” Ifoh said.
“We also extend our heartfelt condolences to the immediate family and pray that God grants them the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
News
Man lands In hospital after ingesting sniper, following heartbreak
A man identified as Adedoye Emmanuel is currently in critical condition at the Igando General Hospital’s intensive care unit in Lagos State after attempting to take his own life by ingesting Sniper Insecticide.
This incident occurred at a hotel on Governor’s Road in the Ikotun area of Lagos, where Emmanuel had been staying.
According to reports, Emmanuel, a resident of the Agbado area in Lagos, was driven to this extreme measure by heartbreak from an undisclosed woman, as well as other life issues.
Unable to cope, he checked into the hotel armed with Sniper insecticide, Coca-Cola, and Action Bitters. He then mixed these substances together and consumed the dangerous cocktail.
As the concoction began to take effect, Emmanuel raised the alarm and fled his room.
Man Hospitalized After Ingesting Sniper Following Heartbreak
The hotel owner swiftly intervened and rushed him to a private hospital, where he revealed his motives before losing consciousness.
He was subsequently transferred to the Igando General Hospital’s intensive care unit, where medical staff are fighting to stabilize his condition.
Emmanuel’s full identity remains unknown, as he was not carrying any form of identification at the time of the incident. Additionally, the two phone numbers he provided before losing consciousness have either been unreachable or turned off.
The matter has been reported to the Ikotun Division Police, who investigated Emmanuel’s hotel room and discovered the empty can of Sniper insecticide.
A concerned individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, has generously offered to cover Emmanuel’s medical expenses at both the private and General hospitals. Efforts to contact his family members have so far proven unsuccessful.
News
Nigerians consume creamers, not milk – Dairy expert
A manufacturer, the Operations Director of Manufacturing Industry Canada, Olufemi Johnson, said what is consumed as milk in Nigeria are creamers.
Johnson made this known in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday while speaking on the challenges facing Nigeria’s dairy industry.
According to him, Nigeria’s dairy has remained stagnated due to under-investment.
“When it comes to the dairy industry, we are not anywhere in Nigeria.
“As a society, we don’t have milk, or kids don’t have milk protein. We didn’t grow with milk protein. What we called milk in Nigeria is not milk but creamers. They are not qualified to be called milk.
“There is a global standard of what is called milk. You don’t milk, milk, but bottle it,” he stated.
Experts in the have lamented the widespread of inferior milk in Nigeria.
Recall that the federal government in June 2024 launched the National Dairy Policy, 2023-2028 to drive growth in the sector.
News
Funds delaying by-elections to fill vacant legislative seats – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission has attributed the delay in conducting by-elections across the country, including the one to replace the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, to financial constraints.
The PUNCH reported that since June 2023, 23 vacancies have emerged in various constituencies due to the deaths or resignations of lawmakers who assumed executive positions at federal, state, and local government levels.
INEC conducted nine by-elections so in 2024, but 14 more vacancies have been recorded, creating an ongoing challenge for the electoral body.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday, said several by-elections are pending, but no date has been fixed due to a lack of funds.
Oyekanmi explained that the commission had approached the National Assembly to request additional financial support to facilitate the electoral process.
The CPS said, “We have several bye-elections to conduct and still counting. No date has been fixed yet, and one of the reasons is lack of funds.”
In his defence of the 2025 budget proposal before the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly Complex on January 10, 2025, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated that the commission would require about N126bn to fund its activities for the year and begin preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He noted that the N40bn proposed in the 2025 budget by President Bola Tinubu was inadequate, particularly considering the need to cover salaries and allowances following the recent increase in the minimum wage.
He explained that in 2024, the commission received the same N40bn allocation, which was only sufficient for salaries and certain social contributions such as NHIS, pensions, and ITF.
While the government has provided N500m for the pending by-elections, he emphasised that the amount remains insufficient to cover the full cost of the exercise.
On January 22, 2025, at a consultative meeting with political party leaders, the INEC Chairman expressed concern over the financial and logistical burden posed by the increasing number of by-elections in Nigeria.
He urged the legislature to consider reforms that would introduce more cost-effective methods of filling vacancies in the National and State Assemblies.
Credit: PUNCH
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