Pack and Go – Anambra First Lady orders baby factories

-Why they’re springing up in Southeast, by Red Cross Anambra State Government on Monday ordered all motherless babies’ homes that could be tagged ‘baby factories’ to pack and leave the state within 48 hours or risk a clampdown. Wife of the Anambra State Governor Mrs. Margaret Peter Obi stated this at the 2013 Children’s Day event at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka. She warned motherless babies’ homes in the state and those indulging in any form of illegal adoption of babies and outright selling of babies in any disguise to pack and leave without further delay. Sale of babies in ‘Baby factories’ has become rampant in the Southeast in recent times. Security agents have…

St. Mary’s Parish Ubomiri, celebrates 2013 Father’s Day

The annual celebration of Catholic Men Organization (CMO) known as “Father’s Day” took place throughout Owerri Archdiocese on Sunday, May 5, 2013. At St. Mary’s Parish Ubomiri in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State, the occasion kicked off with a concelebrated Holy Mass presided over by the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Innocent Maduakolam Osuagwu, assisted by Rev. Fr. Cletus Eboh of the Pontifical Mission Society (PMS). The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Osuagwu welcomed the Christian fathers and all, and wished them a happy and fruitful celebration. In his sermon, Rev. Fr. Cletus Eboh said that fathers are heads or pillars (Ide ji ulo) of their individual families and have the obligation and duty of teaching their…

Why I take Indian hemp -Pastor arrested for kidnapping tells police

A Pastor of a Pentecostal Church arrested for alleged kidnapping shocked detectives, when he was also arrested with a bundle of Indian hemp, found in his house as part of his daily meal. General Overseer of Divine Justice Church, Owerri, Imo State, Pastor Clement Ezeigbo, who is currently cooling his heels in the police Anti Kidnap Unit of the state police command, told the police: “I don’t know anything about kidnapping but I am the owner of the Indian hemp (Igbo) but the good thing is that I don’t smoke it but I use it to prepare my food.  I enjoy eating food prepared with Indian hemp”. “I don’t think there is anything wrong when…

Man who put mum’s body in cupboard Banished …Also baby factory suspect

Imo State traditional rulers have banished Dr. Chimezie Osigwe, in whose home was found the embalmed body of his 73-year-old mum declared missing 10 years ago. Also banished is the proprietor of the Ahamefula Motherless Babies Home, “Madam One Thousand” where 26 expectant teenagers were rescued. “Madam One Thousand”, is no longer to reside in the state, the traditional rulers ruled. Dr. Osuigwe, a native of Ezuru Umuagwu village in Ejemekwuru Autonomous  Community, Oguta LGA Imo State  is a member of the Satguru Maharajji sect. Announcing the verdict, the Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Agunwa Ohiri, said the action of the duo desecrated the land, warning that henceforth all forms…

APGA Leaders storm Ehime-Mbano -As SOLAD urges Governor to vie for 2nd term

Chief Mrs. Chioma Ogoke, the Sole Administrator of Ehime Mbano Local Government Council, on May 10, 2013 implored the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to consolidate his achievements by running for a second tenure in the 2015 gubernatorial elections. She made this appeal through the State Working Committee of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) which visited Ehime-Mbano. According to her “the monumental achievements of the present regime and its benefits will manifest fully if Governor Okorocha serves another tenure”, she said.  She urged the Governor to shelve his presidential ambition for now. In address at the event, the State Governor represented by Chief Vitalis Anyaegbu, the State Secretary of the party postulates that…

Silver Jubilee anniversary: An act of thanksgiving – Bishop Ukwuoma

–     As Prof. & Mrs. Tony Uzoma clock 25 years in marriage It was all joy and merriments as Prof. Anthony Uwandu-Uzoma and Mrs. Beatrice Ifeyinwa Uzoma marked their silver jubilee wedding anniversary at St. Gregory’s Catholic Parish Amaigbo, Nwangele LGA, Imo State on Saturday, May 11, 2013. The silver jubilee celebration commenced with a concelebrated Eucharistic Mass presided over by the chief shepherd of Orlu diocese, Most Rev. Dr. A.T. Ukwuoma and assisted by about 50 priests from different dioceses of Igboland, including Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Ibole, Vicar-General Owerri Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Dr. Alphonsus Oha, Chancellor, Owerri Archdiocese and Rev. Fr. Prof. Louis Asiegbu of the Federal University of Technology Owerri. Delivering a…

St. Andrew’s Parish Umuokanne celebrates Father’s Day – Decries lukewarm attitude of members

The Catholic Men Organization (CMO) of St. Andrew’s Parish Umuokanne has expressed disappointment over the lukewarm attitude of some members towards the upliftment of the parish. The President of the parish CMO, Mr. Sylvester Onyema (City), who expressed this view during the Father’s Day, May 5, 2013, regretted that some CMO members are not making any financial support for the parish and called for a complete change of heart, both morally and financially. The Parish CMO Secretary, Vincent Mary-Ihejieto Esq., echoed similar view.  He told THE LEADER that this year’s Father’s Day was rich spiritually. “Some of our parishioners’ resident “abroad” were invited to help us support and build our “parish security fence” as the…

Mr. Chucks Obiodu: DRIVEN BY PASSION

With a passion for business and a determination to be a haulage contractor just like his father, young Chucks Obiodu went to school knowing exactly what he wanted to do for a living. When life wanted to take him down a different path, he quickly made a U –turn and returned to his dream. Although his older siblings took up jobs in mining, telecommunications, teaching and health sectors, Chucks, the last of five children, preferred to stick with his father. Even so, the young Chucks did not choose his dad so he could work for him or inherit the business after him. All he wanted was a role model which he found in his father….

Breaking News: Ancient tree falls, kills over 30

Over 30 people are feared dead and a yet to be ascertained number were critically injured when a tall tree known as Osisi Ukwu Uko, collapsed on buildings, as well as those transacting their business in a market located under the tree. This sad event reportedly occurred at Umudagu Mbieri, Mbaitoli local council area of Imo State late Thursday night, following a heavy down rain that was accompanied by a ferocious windstorm and thunder. It was also gathered that most of the victims were either traders, who were selling their wares in the market, their customers, some passers-by and others who were taking shelter in the town hall and the surrounding houses. A boy, who…

Community Government: Is it viable?

Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha has on several occasions enumerated what Imo people stand to gain from embracing his Fourth-Tier System of Government, otherwise called, Community Government.  The novelty of it all, being that the state power base will, as it were, relocate from Douglas House Owerri (Government House) to the various autonomous communities in the 27 local government areas of the state. According to the new structure, the duly recognized traditional ruler of each autonomous community will preside over the Community Government Council (CGC), which will include: a Government Liaison Officer (GLO), a Community Liaison Officer (CLO), a Woman leader, Youth leader and Secretary.  The concept is to bring development close to the people as…

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…

Pope Francis Names 800 New Saints

Pope Francis’s first canonization ceremony was a record-breaking one. The new pontiff named over 800 new saints on Sunday. That’s already almost double the number of saints declared by Pope John Paul II, whose 480-odd canonizations were, at the time, more than those of all of his predecessors since 1588, combined. But the latest canonization bonanza is notable for another reason: most of the 800 new saints are 15th-century martyrs, who were approved as a group for sainthood by Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Given Pope Francis’s previous public commitment to improving the Catholic church’s relationship with Muslim communities worldwide, Benedict XVI’s unfinished business put the new pontiff in a delicate position. The 813 “Martyrs…

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…

Jonathan imposes emergency rule on Adamawa, Borno, Yobe

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.  However, the governors of the affected states are to continue in their constitutional roles.  In a nationwide radio/television broadcast on Tuesday, President Jonathan ordered the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, to deploy more troops to the affected states for more effective internal security operations. The soldiers had been given full orders to take necessary action, within the ambit of their rules of engagement, to end the impunity of insurgents and terrorists. Full texts of the President’s broadcast on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 reads. It has become necessary for me to address you on the recent spate…

The morality of sharing money to Pupils in Imo (2)

Wrong Formation: St. Paul’s foremost warning to Timothy is, “The love of money is the root of all evils” (1Tim. 6: 10). The worst offense any parent could commit against his child will be to introduce him to money as a standard for either consolation or love. Using money to attract a child is like using bone to attract dogs. When the bone is not available, the dog refuses to listen to the voice of the owner and could go wild. And scripture says, “Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life” (Prov. 22: 6). Let us therefore expose the harm which this practice of sharing money to…

GOD’S SPIRIT AND WORD IN THE TIMES OF PROMISES

“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit”, “God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father’!  “This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit.  He comes to meet us and kindles faith in us” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 683). The Spirit is the gift of the Father intimate to the work of the Son and through whom we know, confess and benefit from that work.  The Spirit is “the Lord and giver of life”.   GOD’S SPIRIT AND WORD IN THE TIMES OF PROMISES The…

A jewel in his Crown

In his hay days, Pius Ukaga was a simple, easygoing, ever smiling, hardworking and amiable man. Agriculturist by profession, when he became Eze Obibi in 2003, he took those qualities with him, aided by a reliable cabinet, peaceful community, supportive children, especially a resourceful first son. But the jewel in his crown was his Emii-born witty wife, a diligent and resilient woman, the Eze’s one and only spouse and companion of 55 years. It is she, the Ugoeze, who has held his hand in good and bad times. With her by his side, there was no obstacle the crown couldn’t overcome.  Ugoeze Beatrice onyegenonu, a retired school teacher is a woman who knows her community…

Con Man on the Loose in Owerri Archdiocese

A con man that operates under various pseudonyms and, depending on the situation, claims to be an executive of one multinational company or the other in Nigeria, is on the prowl in Owerri Archdiocese. As the Project Manager of Chevron, he goes under the name of Engr. Martins Nwachukwu; as a builder, he operates as Arch. Robert and recently as the South East Regional Manager of Arik Air, he is known as Ifeanyi Okafor. He relies so much on his MTN phone number, and email address, , to carry out his dubious activities. Those who have succumbed to his numerous tricks were asked to pay amounts ranging from N25,000 to a few hundred thousand…

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C 12/5/2013

OPENING PRAYER Father, help us keep in mind that Christ our Saviour lives with you in glory and promised to remain with us until the end of time.  FIRST READING A READING FROM THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 7:55-60 Theme: I can see the son of man standing at the right hand of God. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven  and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand.  “I can see heaven thrown open”, he said, “and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they…

Let’s look at some words and their wrong use among us

When you hear that someone, especially a top politician, has dropped a “bombshell” you would automatically want to know what the big news is all about. The expression connotes an earth shaking event which is actually what an exploded bomb is. To those who must have experienced the early wars in history, crude bombs, when detonated, left their empty covers, shells or, if you like, lifeless relic or empty cases. A couple of years ago an angry war veteran, possibly from World War 1, complained in the prestigious “Letter  to the editor” column of the Times of London  that  he couldn’t  understand  why the newspapers were excited by “bombshell” as an expression of something real…