BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka

Chairman of the Anambra State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, has described the governor of the state, Charles Chukwuma Soludo as an enemy of journalists in the state.

Odogwu who made the statement while taking questions from select journalists on the state of the state in Awka, remonstrated that Governor Soludo has not extended a hand of friendship to members of the 4th Estate since he became governor.

He said Soludo hates journalists with passion and has demonstrated that animosity with the destruction and scrapping of the State-owned newspaper called National Light Newspaper, rendering their workers jobless and useless.

According to Odogwu, the governor is not perturbed about the plight of journalists and that his body language has shown that anything concerning journalists irritates him, adding that in states like Delta, Edo, Kano, Jos and some others, journalists are treated with respect and due recognition.

He said while other state governments see welfare of journalists as top priority, Anambra State Government, according to him, treat journalists’ welfare with levity and complacency.

He said Soludo has not been of any help to journalists in the state and that his press corps team are not spared of the unfair treatments. Odogwu maintained that the governor prefers to deal with his makeshift Soludo TV but oblivious of the fact that mainstream media can not be suppressed or silenced.

And that in other states of the federation, NUJ enjoyed subventions and the unions have their secretariats built and secured by the government.

Another salient issue he raised was that in other states, journalists are appointed into positions of authority and the Council assisted greatly but the reverse is the case in Anambra state.

Odogwu said even when the Council applied for training of her members, government threw the application inside the gutter.

Responding to Odogwu’s claims, Press Secretary to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Mr. Christian Aburime said it was not true that Soludo is an enemy of journalists in Anambra State.

Aburime argued that how can a governor who doled out rice palliatives to journalists last Christmas be described as an enemy ? He said Soludo was just two years old in office and transforming the state with a rapid developmental pace in all ramifications.

Aburime noted that the governor is taking it one step at a time as seen in his declaration of free education, free antenatal and child delivery services in all government hospitals, construction of over 400 kilometers of roads, winning the war against Insecurity, urban regeneration, etc.

He mentioned the employment of 5000 teachers, empowerment of 5000 youths of One Youth Two Skills with grants, employment of doctors and nurses to enable Anambra hospitals function again, to mention just a few of Governor Soludo’s milestone achievements in just two years.

The governor’s Press Secretary however advised the leadership of the NUJ in Anambra to be patient as Soludo will respond to their needs in due course.

He said that Odogwu’s claims that Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is an enemy of journalists and insensitive to their needs is cheap blackmail intended to create undue emotions as well as rubbish the giant developmental strides of the governor within a short period of time.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over an ongoing N8,069,176,864.00 money laundering probe.

The indicted former Minister of Aviation arrived at the Federal Capital Territory Command of the EFCC at about 1:00 pm on Tuesday, newsmen confirm.

The EFCC office at Wuse, observed the embattled former minister’s arrival at the anti-graft agency’s Abuja office.

Following his arrival at the command, Sirika is currently meeting with EFCC investigators to answer questions on alleged fraudulent contracts awarded by him to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika.

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu,  has decried the activities of saboteurs and cartels in the electricity sector, blaming them for the incessant power outages in the country.

Adelabu  expressed this during a  programme tagged “Confronting Nigeria’s Power Challenge as the Nation Migrates to a Multi-Tier Electricity Market” on Tuesday in Abuja.

The programme was organised by the  House of Representatives Committee on Power.

The minister  said  saboteurs and cartels perpetrated evil for their selfish interests in order to frustrate efforts at ensuring stable electricity supply in the country.

“We have saboteurs, cartels, and those who prefer to perpetrate evil for their selfish interests to frustrate our efforts,” Adelabu said.

He said all efforts must be geared towards propelling the country to  the league of  productive nations, adding that Nigeria was looking at reserves that would  eliminate incessant power collapse.

He said the Federal Government was considering the liberalisation of the power sector.

“We also encourage the state government to invest in power generation in their states, ” the minister said.

Adelabu listed Abia as one of the states that had invested in power, adding that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had also granted Ekiti and Enugu State the right to generate tariffs.

The minister said it was worrisome that a lot of investors did not come with their private equity, but had to borrow money from the bank to operate in the sector.

He, however, said that with time,  investors would be made to operate the right way for the benefit of the sector.

The minister  also said that FG was looking at deepening  rural electrification, adding that it would be done in collaboration with the state governments.

Adelabu said there were over 100 uncompleted power projects across the country, adding that those projects would not be energy-efficient without being completed.

Speaking, Mr Kola Adeshina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, expressed the regret that Nigeria  could not supply electricity efficiently in spite of its abundant gas resources.

He said if electricity was not a  priority in budget provision, it  would  be difficult for the country to work.

Adeshina said  Nigeria had the resources to double its power generation.

“If the executive brings an appropriation bill before you(lawmakers) and the power sector is not number two after defence, then don’t allow it.” he said.

He urged government to prioritise industrial areas in power distribution.

“After the industrial areas have had light during the day, we can shift power at night to residential areas because production takes place during the day.

“Let’s sequence our investment along the line of value-added. Nigerians are resilient, we are strong, and we have tenacity. Nigerians are tired of power collapse,” he said.