LAND GRABBING; Anambra community VS Nigeria Police… National Assembly adjourns till February 13, 2018.

Further hearing at the House of Reps on the allegation of land grabbing instituted by Atani people of Anambra state against the Nigeria Police has been adjourned to 13^th February, 2018.

The Anambra community, headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area led by its traditional ruler HRH Igwe Azuka Ngoddy had petitioned the House of Representative to check what they called “unwarranted expansion and encroachment on community land by Nigeria Police beyond the portion allocated to them.

According to those who attended the hearing yesterday, when the matter came up, the Inspector General of Police was represented by an Assistant Commissioner of Police with a team of lawyers while Igwe Ngoddy led some of his Chiefs to the hallowed chambers.

         A cross section of Atani Chiefs and stakeholders during the hearing yesterday

During the hearing, the Nigerian Police had relied and tendered a survey plan of the said landed property which was discountenanced and dismissed by the committee  for not being duly signed and stamped.

The Committee was also said to have queried the fact that the survey plan presented by the Police neither had a registration number of the surveyor who prepared it nor beacon numbers and a GPRS of the survey plan.

According to our source, the Committee then directed the Police to stop further development of the said land and produce the surveyor at the next hearing or risk the arrest of the DPO of the Divisional headquarters of Nigeria Police at Atani.

Recall that the Nigeria Police and the people of Atani had been in a bitter face-off for some time now over the land the community allocated to it freely.

While the people are alleging that the Nigeria Police is on a wild encroachment and expansion spree, the Police is saying there is nothing like that.   

Blessing Egbe seeks 1000 cast for new epic series

                   Blessing with Ufuoma Mcdermot at the premiere of The Women in Lagos

Over 1000 actors are being sought for a new epic film series by one of Nigeria’s prolific film producers, Blessing Egbe.

This call for audition comes just a few weeks after The Women her last film was released on DVD after a successful cinema run across Nigeria.  

The new series according to Egbe who also gave the world the blockbuster film Lekki Wives, is in need of 18 lead actors, 40 majors, 30 supporting artistes and over 900 background actors who will be expected to light up the screens when the series eventually shows.

It was gathered that audition date is Feb 10, 2018 and time is 9a.m.

Venue for this special audition is Hotel by White House in Value county estate, Ogidan bus stop sangotedo, after Lagos Business School and after Blenco supermarket, the bus stop is to the left if coming from Ajah on the Lekki- Epe Expressway

Delectable Egbe said “prospective artistes should come for the audition well prepared, armed and ready with their respective monologues because only the best will be good enough”.

A call to 08050317289 will explain further. 

Ray Mike Nwachukwu, the man who gave the world the song Time na Money for burial

Ray Mike Nwachukwu, the man who gave the world the song Time na Money for burial

The funeral ceremony of Ray Mike Nwachukwu, the man who composed and recorded the music Time na money has been announced.

Nwachukwu died at a Lagos hospital on January 16, 2018 at the age of 71.

According to a burial announcement signed by FRCN,  Nwachukwu will be buried  after a requiem mass at St Dominics Catholic Church Yaba, Lagos while reception follows at his residence Taylor Drive Yaba

While alive, Ray Mike Nwachukwu was a very creative soul who worked variously as a print journalist. He also delved into radio and television, advertising , artiste management and  music production.

Nwachukwu an Ndokwa Delta state born creative genius attended Government College Ughelli.

He rose to national prominence between late 70s and the 80s when  he was senior producer at foremost advertising company LINTAS Advertising and produced most of the commercials, jingles and voice-overs of that era in Nigeria.

Ray-Mike also set up a record studio and label ARR-EM, which produced the music which Mike Okri later made more popular in a production of Laolu Akins.

Before his death, he presented a high life music programme on Classic FM.

Atani , Prof Ben Nwabueze’s home town battles Nigeria Police over land …House of Reps schedule hearing for 30th January, 2018.

There is a bitter face off between Atani people of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state and the Nigeria Police as you are reading this.

Atani is home town of renowned Professor of Law, Ben Nwabueze.

The bone of contention according to ECD findings is the “wild and wide encroachment on community land by the Nigerian Police” to which it had donated a piece of land where it built its station years ago.

The station became a Divisional Headquarters since the creation of Ogbaru LGA.

The people started crying out over the wide encroachment on community land by Nigeria Police who they claim started expanding beyond their allocation erecting walls and fences without recourse to any one.

All efforts by the traditional institution and indeed major stakeholders to correct this encroachment are being rebuffed according to sources.

A petition has since gone to the House of Reps to check this Police illegal encroachment as presented by Hon Chukwuka Onyema, member representing the area at the Federal House of Representative.

A public hearing has been set for 30^th January in Abuja and concerned citizens and stakeholders

are advised to witness it and make contributions.

An elder of the community who did not want his name mentioned told ECD that, “Nigeria Police is also laying claims to the lands around and opposite their station and we don’t like it. We want the Federal Government to check this unwarranted expansion and cause the IGP to call his men to order.”

Said another resident “ It is very funny for the Nigeria Police to now be showing Atani people where their land begins and ends brandishing  a survey plan of 2013. Why this is funny is that their barracks and quarters is decrepit and in ruin but they are busy erecting walls and fences beyond the original plan.”  

By Fred Iwenjora