APPRAISING GOVERNOR IKPEAZU AS AMBASSADOR OF MADE IN ABA BRAND

Meet Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu,the Governor of Abia State, Clinical Biochemist, former University don, one-time Chairman Obingwa Local Government, Former Chairman, Governing Board, College of Health, Technology Aba, General Manager, Abia State Integrated Passengers Manifest Scheme (ASPIMS) and Deputy General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA). But far more significant than his previous offices is his new job designation: the Chief Brand Marketer of Made- in- Aba Products.
A position the Governor willingly sninthtepped into upon resumption of office on May 29,2015 when he assured in his inaugural speech he would ensure, "that ‘Made- in- Aba’ products become something of high quality and in high demand".
"I am proud to stand in front of this crowd today clad in all made- in -Aba attire. I pledge to wear made -in-Aba all through my service as Governor and beyond, not because of lack of options but because it is good to be proud of what we have, especially if it’s the best".
Some eighteen months in the saddle,Dr Ikpeazu has not eaten his word. He has massively promoted and patronised Aba- made products. To be candid, the Governor's passion for ethnic fashion -and everything Abia- has naturally rekindled interest in local brands hitherto despised and banished by voracious and insanely acute appetite for foreign fashion. Whether in the state or overseas, Ikpeazu wouldn't be comfortable in non- Aba-made dress or accessories.
The lesson in this is nobody sells you better than you. The Governor being genuinely proud of Aba -made products has greatly encouraged others to buy from home.
In the last couple of weeks, public institutions, the private sector and eminent Nigerians have taken more than a passing interest in made in Aba brands. From the Nigerian Army to politicos led by the former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, among others, demand for Abia products has soared to the havens. To be specific, Aba shoe makers are supplying about 50,000 pairs of military footwears to the Nigerian Army. Just for an initial supply. Sister security agencies and MDAs are also on standby. Even as Governor Ikpeazu personally delivered made -in -Aba shoes to Obasanjo.
Diasporan demand for made-in - Aba products has also surged. Aba tailors are battling to meet demands of ethnic fashion enthusiasts who are paying in foreign currencies.The trend would continue as the nation is in recession, occasioned by drastic fall in oil prices, the mainstay of Nigeria's largely undiversified economy. Some Nigerians overseas, it was gathered, have made orders for about 2,000 pairs of Aba shoes for school children this yuletide. Government has also launched a Shoes-to-School Campaign that targets Made in -Aba shoes.
An interesting article by Alexander Ndunagu,First Class Law graduate of the University of Ibadan and a Ph.D student at McGill University , Canada. also hints at the rebound of the Made in Aba products.The Cambridge scholar observed in a write up,entitled, "The Made in Aba Revolution: A Call For Networking,Global Diffusion and Collective Learning".
"Made in Nigeria campaign has political traction, and has recently been given regulatory support through the amendment of the Public Procurement Act. Chief of this “Made in Nigeria” campaign at the moment is the “Made in Aba” jingle",Ndunagu wrote in a recent opinion piece in BusinessWay Africa.
"Aba is a buzzing city in Abia State, one of the states in the eastern part of Nigeria, reputed for its entrepreneurial qualities and innovative drive, nicknamed the “Japan of Africa”. It is also the hub of fashion, with volumes of shoes and clothes leaving its busy markets, on a regular basis...with the renewed interests of the national government to encourage local production, and the determination of the state government to make Aba, a global hub of top quality products, Aba may finally earn its long touted reputation of being the Japan of Africa."
“Made in Aba revolution may finally be getting the national attention it long craved for. Government’s support for local manufacturers is a positive step towards ensuring that the potentials are harnessed and maximized. Aba must take advantage of government policy and turn itself into a global hub of top quality goods. I argue that establishing clusters and promoting networking among entrepreneurs, global diffusion and collective learning are important to the dreams and goals of the “Made in Aba” revolution."
In Abia, government is determined to diversify its economy with less dependence on dwindling Federal Allocation. From the Agricultural revolution sweeping through the state to promotion of entrepreneurial skills,the future of the state called God's own now rests on the hands of the people. Government on its part is down with necessary policy mix and direction to harness the limitless potential of the state aspiring to be Africa's SME capital.
That is the reason the Ikpeazu administration is building a Leather and Garment Industrial cluster at Umukalika,Obingwa LGA in the greater Aba Metropolis. The Industrial City is a full-service Public Private Partnership initiative .The facility comes with state- of-the -art equipment and machinery for processing finished leather goods, industrial clothing line management and a Waste Recycling Power Plant to Power the entire complex and guarantee 24hr power supply. The recent state-sponsored national tour and product exhibition by Leather and Allied Product Manufacturers Association of Abia State which has taken them to the Senate President and other critical stakeholders, is also in the same direction.
As Apostle of Made -in- Abia brands,Ikpeazu has fulfilled one of his key campaign promises. He is not your regular politician who doesn't honour his word. From his first day in office, he has never derailed from his view that boosting the state's economy,through its human and natural resources is the surest route to its development.

"Our story as a people is one of entrepreneurship, resourcefulness and diligence. This is our pride. We have astounded the world with our homegrown technical skills, especially during a period of pervasive adversity, and followed it up with our trade and commercial prowess elevating one of our cities, Aba, into a prominent commercial hub within the West African region. This historic renown is to become our future narrative. The time is ripe to use the over 110,000 shoemakers and 50,000 garment makers as a launching pad to enable Abia to truly become the undisputed SME capital of Nigeria," Dr Ikpeazu reiterated.
A fair appraisal of Ikpeazu's regime has indeed glaringly depicted him as Chief Marketing Officer of Made -in- Aba goods and services.

How This Lady Escaped Ritualists In Akure

This was me yesterday morning, hale and hearty , full of life before I stepped out to work not knowing of the danger that lies ahead......😢 as I closed from work, took a bike to a supermarket called NAO along cathedral Akure, after picking few stuffs i needed, I crossed to the other side to board a taxi to my estate called Ijapo here in Akure, then I waved this taxi and the driver stopped.,

I moved closer and told him ijapo then he asked me to get in, inside the car I met two already seated at the back, then one at the front seats with the driver making 4, we became 5 plus me but after a few second of driving a guy from the back alighted, leaving two of us at the back sit, then the guy with me at the back sit told the driver to pack that he wants to drop too. Continue...

And the driver asked, bro! Are you the owner of the Ghana must go filled with dollars at the booth, the guy replied yes and the driver said il drive you to our chairman at the garage, you want to put me in trouble abi? You entered my taxi with such big amount of money without telling me, Immediately I told the driver what right has he got to open a passengers bag, b4 I finished this statement the guy who claimed to own the bag started crying, begging the driver not to expose him , that he works with one Alhaji at Lagos who sells gold and change dollars then Alhaji just died and everyone absconded with what they like, that inside the bag he had 1.5m dollars.

Immediately my guardian angel appear and instructed me to look at the side mirror of both front seat I did, behold the first guy had scar all over his face and the driver's eyeball covered in blood but already healing.

Immediately I shouted with my whole strength "Drop me now!!! he said Aunty you need to follow us, today is our lucky day, this guy will settle us. Again I yelled "I say Drop me now!!!! Then he parked drop me off on motion around oja market and zoomed off. God saved me! Then people gathered round me and started sharing thier experiences, a woman told me that normally they have jazzed me but it wasn't effective on me that, as I entered the taxi I am suppose to agree with them the next thing il find myself in a bush! After Rapping me turn

By turn, they will take my naked pic, give me other concoction to swallow, dispose me off my valuables, drive me at night to an ATM, where il withdraw all my money for them, and if I am from a rich family they will set me free but they'll be calling me to bring them huge amount of money or threaten to release the pics to social media , and if i am not from a rich family, that's how they'll sell to the ritualistic , or do the cutting themselves.

I was in shock, crying and weeping profusely as I thank my father In Heaven for not making my years of suffer go down just like that. If you're within Akure please becareful, they are roaming the streets freely, I wonder what the force men are doing about this, if you go out and see 20taxis, I assure you 6 to 7 of them are set of this guyz! Fellow corpers becareful, everyone at Akure open your eyes and don't let love of money make you fall victim, I heard lots of people are missing , some are found with their hair scrapped , while some are dead with many parts missing.

Shine your eyes well, am yet to recover from the shock, glory to God, to my guardian Angel and to my mother who pray ceaselessly day and night for me. We shall not mourn ourselves in the remaining of the year and the years a ahead.🙏🏻

Faces @ Sound Sultan's 40th Birthday Party

The singer who just clocked 40, celebrated with few selected friends in a small bash. Two more pics:

The Management and staff of Divine Destiny Media, the publishers of SUNRISE NEWS wish Sound Sultan many more years and all the good things he wish for himself @ 40

YABATECH Suspends Academic Activities As Fire Destroys Hostel

Academic activities at the Yaba College of Technology have been suspended for three days after the female hostel of the school was gutted by fire in the early hours of Wednesday, destroying 20 rooms.

The building, Bakassi Hostel, is a double wing four-storeyed structure occupied by female students. The affected wing has 72 rooms, 20 of which were razed.

It was learnt that the fire, which started around 5am, was caused by a surge from a faulty socket in one of the rooms.

No fewer than 30 students reportedly sustained injuries in a stampede that resulted from struggle to flee their respective rooms to safety.

It took a combined effort of the school’s firefighters, the Lagos State Fire Service, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and policemen from the Sabo division to douse the flames with firefighting equipment.

However, students, who spoke with our correspondent, said there was slow response on the part of emergency officials and blamed the incident on poor wiring in the hostel.

An HND 1 Accountancy student, who identified herself simply as Oluwakemi, said she lost all her belongings to the fire, adding that two of her friends fainted as result of fumes they inhaled.

 

The hostel after the inferno

She said, “There was a power cut and somebody started the generator. Immediately the power was switched to the generator, there was spark from a wire in the hostel. Our wires are bad and we have been complaining to the school authorities since September.

“One of the sockets in the hostel started bringing out smoke. That was what started the fire. Immediately we noticed the fire, we started rushing out. About 40 students were injured. Some fainted. Two of them, Bella and Onome, are my friends. My property was burnt, including my credentials. There was delay in putting out the fire.”

Another affected student, who gave her name only as Regina, said except the wrapper she had on, she could not salvage her property.

“I fell on the staircase while rushing downstairs. People stepped on me before I was eventually rescued. Many of us were injured. We are up to 40,” she added.

A student of Textile Department, who did not want his name in print, urged the school authorities to urgently attend to students’ needs.

He said, “The management should try to pay attention to students’ complaints. Every issue that we report to the school, the management will want to follow protocols,  which will take time. They are not supposed to be lackadaisical to cases that have to do with students’ safety.”

The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, said firefighters from three stations were deployed in the school.

“Firefighters from Ilupeju, Alausa and Yaba responded and joined the school’s fire service to put out the fire. Twenty rooms at the topmost floor were destroyed,” he said.

LASEMA General Manager, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, said, “Sixteen female students, including some asthmatic patients, were choked by the flames, but they were quickly attended to.”

The Director, YABATECH Public Relations Unit, Dr Charles Oni, said the actual cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained. He, however, stated that students used electric cooking appliances in the hostel in spite of the management’s warning against such.

He said, “The Works and Services Unit said anytime a fault is reported, they attend to it. What happened was just an accident which is natural. Firemen needed an excavator to attend to the fire, which the college provided. About 13 students got injured in the stampede. They were rushed to the school clinic and are being attended to. Academic activities have been suspended. We hope to resume by Monday.”

All You Need To Know About Eyitoye Jegede Court Victory

All you need to know;
1. Court holds that the actions of Justice Okon Abang is a disgrace to the judiciary.
2. The Court wondered why Justice Abang will rule in favor of Jimoh Ibrahim on Ondo guber election when the matter was not brought b4 him.

3. The Court holds that no where in the entire motion filed by the plaintiff before Abang was 2016 or Ondo guber mention but he ruled on it.
4. The Court said the lower court did a very dangerous thing. The lower court did what is not know to Law.
5. The Court of Appeal justices were actually laughing at Abang. They almost said he was paid to turn the Law on its head.
6. The Court notes that the issue brought before Justice Abang was PDP 2019 presidential issues but Abang delve into 2016 elections "Ondo".
7. Court holds that the primary that produced Jimoh ibrahim is an illegal contraption and nullity.
8. COURT: Against the backdrop of these extensive postulation, there is no gain saying that this appeal is meritorious and it is hereby allowed
Congratulation Eyitoye Jegede SAN

Happening Now Along Oyemekun ROAD Akure

Happening Now Along Oyemekun ROAD Akure.

 

Ondo state AGOG

The crowd spreads to Nepa Hospital roa axis, Ijoka, Alagbaka,, Ijapo estate, Ondo road...

Ojo oba by the Oba palace closed..... Market women trooped out! wow !!
The last time I saw this was when GOVERNOR NYESOM WIKE won!!!

Heartless! Man R*pes & Kills A Vir-gin Girl In Ohafia

A man of about 60yrs old, an indigene of Amaekpu Ohafia in Ohafia area of Abia State was paraded unclad by youths of the community as punishment for r*ping and killing a lady in the community.
                  
According to report by Abia Facts, the man mocked the girl for being a vir-gin while r*ping her in the farm, before he allegedly killed her. He then informed the lady's friend to tell the family where they can find the body. It was the friend who raised the alarm.

 

The entire management and staff of Divine Destiny Media (DDM), the publishers of your award winning SUNRISE NEWS join others to condemned this inhuman act.