Imo baby factory saga: ‘I never impregnated anyone’ – Suspect

Contrary to police statement, Chukwuebuka Onyemefule, popularly called Oyibo, has denied any involvement in the pregnancy of the 23 girls who were arrested last week by the Police at the Ahamefule Orphanage at Umuaka, Njaba Council Area of the state. The 23-year-old who spoke with Daily sun said the police had lied that he was solely employed by the owner of the motherless babies’ home as a stud. He maintained that he was only employed about three weeks ago to work at the sachet water factory and that 23 girls were all pregnant when he resumed at the sachet water section of the hospital. According to him, “the police lied when they said that I…

ACHEBE AND THE INVENTION OF AFRICAN LITERATURE (1)

came strong on the world stage with the publication of his first novel, Things Fall Apart. It is a work widely considered to have defined African literature and brought balance to world literature. This is despite the fact that there were other pioneering efforts regarding African prose by African indigenous writers. By 1933 Omenụkọ by Pita Nwana had been published, followed by the Onitsha Market Literature through which Cyprian Ekwensi published pamphlet stories like Ikolo the Wrestler and Other Ibo Tales (1947) and When Love Whispers (1948). These were before Amos Tutuola’s The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1952), which many regard as the pioneer novel form in English language by an indigenous African. However, it is Chinua…

Town Unions and Community Governing Council In Imo State

A town union is an association formed by members of a particular community for the socio-economic development of that community. Accordingly, town union collaborates with traditional administration, government at all levels and sometimes non-governmental agencies to achieve its aim. Town unions existed in communities in Nigeria even before colonialism. Interestingly, when the colonial masters came to the country, they also associated with town unions and made adequate use of them to foster their mission. With the country’s independence and the constitutional provision on Freedom of Association, town unions became stronger institutions. Also, with the promulgation of the Companies and Allied matters Act, town unions are now incorporated as legal persons. Today, many town unions are…

Dr Joe Obi-Njoku : Rising from the Grassroots

Imagine him chopping wood with an axe.  Imagine him also shirtless, barefoot, a climbing robe “akpi” on his left shoulder and a machete in his right hand, dividing the bush and heading for the nearest palm tree to cut down the ripe fruits for sale, so he and his family could eat.   Imagine him again taking bamboos from the raffia palm and carefully weaving the traditional bamboo bed – “okpukpo,” (agada in some dialet)  also to make a living. Finally, see him riding an old bicycle from his home at Umueme, Uzagba, in Ikeduru local government, to Mbaise to go to college.   That’s the life of Dr Joe Obi-Njoku, as a young man,…