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Hoodlums stab woman, collect N.2m under Zuba bridge

By Abubakar Sadiq Isah

A middle – aged woman, identified as Mrs. Ijeoma, was stabbed and her hand bag containing N223,000 snatched last Thursday night by suspected hoodlums under Zuba bridge, Abuja.

A witness said the incident happened at about 7:48 pm after the victim alighted from a commercial bus at a filling station in the area.

He said the victim decided to trek after she couldn’t get a motorcycle to pick her to Zuba town, in which some suspected handbag snatchers accosted and stabbed her with a knife on her forehead, before they escaped with her bag.

“The woman was abandoned in her pool of blood shouting Jesus, before some vigilante men who were on patrol came and conveyed her to the police station after she explained to them what had happened to her, “he said.

A member of the vigilante, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident, saying the victim was handed over to the police.

When contacted , the Zuba Divisional Police Officer (DPO) CSP Ayo Bami Surajudeen, could not be reached for comments, but a police officer at the station said the victim was taken to a private hospital, after taking her statement.

He added that the police are investigating the matter.

AEPB evacuates waste in satellite towns

By Taiwo Adeniyi

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) last Friday evacuated waste dumped in some satellite towns within the territory.

The Acting Director of AEPB, Mrs. Omolola Olanipekun, during the exercise said though it is the responsibility of the Satellite Town Development Department to evacuate the waste, the board is in partnership with the department to ensure that the territory is kept clean.

The board’s staff during the exercise that lasted two days were at Nyanya Market, Karu, Jikwoyi, Karshi and FHA Lugbe.

She attributed the huge waste generated in the satellites town to “the markets and settlements that are not supposed to be there,” adding that the board would use the law against any resident that refuses to abide by environmental standards in the FCT.

She said waste evacuation is a continuous exercise and called for attitudinal change from the residents appealing that their cooperation is needed to ensure that Abuja becomes a model city.

She said unlike before, the board would now add sensitization to waste evacuation to ensure that everybody buy-in into the project.

Contracts debt: Kuje chairman appeals for time

By Abubakar Sadiq

The chairman of Kuje Area Council, Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima, has appealed to contractors who executed projects for the council but were yet to be paid to give him more time.

Galadima who had a meeting with some of the contractors at his office in Kuje last week asked for a six-month grace to enable him study the handover documents by his predecessor and ascertain the level and quality of execution of the projects.

He said the contracts were awarded by the immediate past administration of Mr. Shaban Ishaku Tete.

City News learnt that contractors have filed about 36 court cases while others have obtained four court orders to freeze the council’s accounts.

“I don’t think taking Kuje Area Council to court by our indigenous contractors is the best way, rather we should come together to have a dialogue. Because I know how painful it is for one to complete a contract for two to four years without being paid, “he said.

Earlier, the head of Administration of the council, Mr. Daniel Ayuba, told the contractors that the present administration came and inherited liability of over N1 billion, inclusive of outstanding payment of staff salaries and contractors and non-remittance of pension deductions among others.

A contractor, Mr. Mbaenefo Nwabueze, said he executed a project since 2012 but has not been paid, despite he went to the bank to obtain a loan to execute the project.

He suggested the need for the council chairman to put down a written agreement on how the monies could be paid after the six months grace given to him.

Striking health workers ground UniAbuja hospital

By Abubakar Sadiq Isah

As the seven days warning strike embarked by members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) enters five days, the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada has remained shut.

Our reporter, who visited the hospital on Friday, observed that there was no presence of doctors, nurses and other health personnel on ground.

Most of the hospital wards were also deserted.

It was also observed that there were no patients on sight as all the waiting rooms where patients wait to see doctors were empty.

City News gathered that (JOHESU) had last Wednesday, embarked on a seven-day warning strike over failure by the federal government to meet their demands.

It was further observed that only the special care baby unit of the hospital was open for services. Reacting, the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital branch chairman of the union, Comrade Steve Oricha, said they decided to join the strike since it was a national issue, which he said also affects staff of the hospital.

When contacted, the Acting Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Haruna Abubakar, said he cannot make any comment on the strike since it was a national one, even though, he said there was the need for JOHESU and the federal government to come to dialogue so as to resolve the matter.

Kwali council pays contractors

By Abubakar Sadiq Isah

The chairman of Kwali Area Council, Mr. Joseph Shazhin, has said the council has begun the payment of some indigenous contractors that were owed by the immediate past PDP administration of the council.

Speaking during an interview on Sunday, the chairman said he decided to source for funds to pay the contractors because most of them were going through untold hardship.

He said that the council had last week invited some of the owed contractors and discussed with them on how their debt will be cleared.

“Although, there are some of the contractors that have gone to court, they assured me that they are ready to withdraw their cases matter so that we will come to a round table discussion and resolved the matter,”he said.