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By Madu urged Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has given N500,000 as a cash award to Miss Ifebude Chelsea Benson, the overall best candidate in the 2023 National Examination Council (NECO) Senior Secondary Schools Certificate Examination. Miss Ifebude, a native of Ndikelionwu in Orumba North LGA, scored A1 in all the nine subjects she offered in the examination. She has since been offered admission and is studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Abuja. The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, presented the award on behalf of the governor to the recipient, who was represented by her father, Mr Ben Benson. According to the Commissioner, the award was the governor’s way of encouraging academic excellence among Anambra pupils and students. She explained that the state government had made serious investments in state education, all in a bid to bring education in the state at par with what is obtained in developed countries and equip the Anambra child to compete favorably with their peers anywhere. In his speech, the father of the recipient, Mr Benson, thanked Soludo for the award, noting that the award had stood Governor Soludo out as a leader who encourages hard work. He said the award would go a long way towards spurring her daughter to strive to be her best and portray the state in good light.

By Madu Obi The Anambra and Enugu states Police commands have launched joint interstate border patrol as part of measures to reduce criminal activities in the two states. It was gathered that the collaborative efforts became necessary following increasing cases involving kidnappers and gunmen engaged in interstate and transborder criminal activities. The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the two Police Commissioners met at the Anambra Police command in Awka, along with Deputy and Assistant Police Commissioners from both states. According to the PPRO, the gathering resulted in far-reaching plans to strengthen security operations at major flashpoints in the two states, adding that the meeting was in line with the enhanced policing guidelines of the Inspector-General of Police. Ikenga said: "The Commissioners of Police from both states, CP Ikioye Orutugu of Anambra and CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa of Enugu, met to devise operational strategies aimed at proactively addressing security challenges in the two neighboring states. The Commissioners identified the infiltration of criminals between the states as a major security issue that requires immediate attention to combat violent crimes and the activities of subversive criminal elements. As a result, they pledged to collaborate by sharing intelligence and pooling operational resources to address violent crime at the borders and within their respective states. The Commissioners reiterated their commitment to decisively combat all forms of crime and criminality in both states, aiming to ensure maximum public security and safety." He added that the Commissioners warned criminals operating in the two states to either repent, or face the full force of the law.

By Madu Obi The alleged allegiance of the President General of Ihiala Progress Union, IPU, Mr. Okey Ohagba to the Labour Party, LP, against the wish of most of the stakeholders who belong to the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the area was said to be responsible for the growing insecurity in the community. Ihiala in one of the communities in Anambra State where gunmen have been operating freely despite efforts by the state government to secure the area. Only on Sunday, a Reverend Father kidnapped at Ichida in Anaocha local government area of the state was rescued at Ihiala as the abductors we're heading to their den in the area. At a news conference in Awka, the traditional ruler of Ihiala, Igwe Thomas Obidiegwu, accompanied by all members of the Royal cabinet and prominent citizens of the town, accused the PG of sabotaging the efforts of the community to restore security in the town because of his political leaning. However, the PG, in his reaction, accused government officials of being responsible for insecurity in Ihiala. Vice President General of IPU, Hon Collins Agbasiere said: "We were elected on December 26 , 2022 and shortly after, we noticed that the PG had a different agenda towards our desire to move Ihiala forward. He decided to align himself with non progressive persons in Ihiala to derail the progress of the community. He also decided to usurp the powers of other elected officials of IPU and refused to carry anybody along in running the town in terms of administration and finances. Six months after our election, I summoned a meeting at stakeholders to brief them on the happenings and although he promised to turn a new leaf, the situation even became worse and had remained so till date." According to him, Ihiala sons and daughters contributed N100 million to tackle insecurity in Ihiala, but nothing was done in the area of security as the PG spent the money without any executive member knowing what the money was used for. "When we questioned him, he removed all of us from the town union platform. We had to petition the state government which is currently investigating the matter", he said.