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700 Catholic Priests Accused Of Child Sexual Assault In Illinois .

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Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the Church’s revelations that 185 clergy members were credibly accused of sexual abuse fell short of the number her office has uncovered.

The preliminary results of an investigation that began in August found more than 500 additional priests and clergy members with sexual abuse allegations in the Midwestern state’s six dioceses — a total of at least 685 accused.

In a scathing statement, the attorney general’s office criticised the Church’s handling of the abuse allegations, saying investigations were lacking, and in many cases law enforcement and child welfare authorities were not notified.

“The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself,” Madigan said.

She added that the Church had failed to provide “a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois.”

The Illinois investigation was prompted by a sweeping grand jury report in August that revealed credible allegations against more than 300 suspected predator priests and identified over 1,000 victims of child sex abuse covered up for decades by the Catholic Church in the state of Pennsylvania.

In October, federal authorities for the first time opened an investigation into clergy abuse. Dioceses in the state reported receiving federal grand jury subpoenas to produce documents.

The Archdiocese of Chicago, the largest of the Illinois dioceses, countered Madigan’s report by insisting that all abuse claims are investigated and reported to authorities.

“Since 2006, we have published the names of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of abuse, and in 2014 we released more than 20,000 documents from these priests’ files,” the archdiocese said in a statement.

But Madigan’s office said allegations of abuse have often not been adequately investigated, if they are scrutinised at all. Among the reasons for the lack of action were that the accused was deceased or had already resigned.

“This report is both shocking and exactly what we expected,” Zach Hiner, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), told AFP.

“We’ve known for a long time that church officials have been ignoring and minimising allegations of abuse and this report is just yet another proof point that it is a systemic issue, not a highly localised one.”

Since the state investigation opened, the dioceses have added another 45 clergy members to their official lists of those credibly accused of committing child sexual abuse, according to Madigan’s office.

The attorney general anticipated additional names will be disclosed as her investigation continues.

“Allegations of sexual abuse of minors, even if they stem from conduct that occurred many years ago, cannot be treated as internal personnel matters,” Madigan said.

The Catholic Church has been hit by a series of child abuse scandals in recent years, with widespread allegations of coverups. And public pressure has been mounting on its institutions.

This month, authorities of the Jesuit order overseeing at least 40 US states released the names of more than 240 members who have been credibly accused of abuse — including dozens of priests with multiple allegations.

Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with some 16,000 members worldwide who do not fall directly under the Church’s hierarchy.

They operate 30 colleges and 81 schools in the United States and Canada

 

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IBEDC Celebrates Christmas, Urges Customers to Prioritize Safety and Energy Responsibility

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IBEDC Celebrates Christmas, Urges Customers to Prioritize Safety and Energy
Responsibility.

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc extends heartfelt Christmas greetings to all Christians, esteemed customers, and Nigerians at large.

In a statement, the Managing Director, Engr. Francis Agoha highlighted that the birth of Jesus Christ symbolizes sacrificial love—a virtue that humanity should strive to embody.

Engr. Agoha assured customers that IBEDC has implemented measures to ensure network stability and smooth operations throughout the holiday season. “In anticipation of customer needs during the holidays, we are fully prepared to address faults quickly to minimize disruptions in power supply,” he stated.

He also called on customers to avoid energy theft, including tampering with meters or making illegal connections. “Energy theft is a criminal act that affects service quality for everyone and hampers our collective progress. I encourage customers to report any suspicious activities immediately,” he said.

Additionally, Engr. Agoha warned against tampering with electrical installations due to their severe safety risks, including the potential for injury or fatality. Customers are urged to report any faults, energy theft, or other issues to IBEDC offices or the Customer Care Line: 07001239999.
IBEDC also encourages customers to use its secure and convenient payment platforms to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply during the holidays.

These platforms include the IBEDCPAY app (available on Android and iOS), Quickteller, Payarena, Jumia, Watu, Buypower, IRecharge, and ATMs. IBEDC offices will be open from 9 am to 3 pm during the holiday to report faults, make inquiries, bill payments, and vending services.
“We sincerely thank our customers for their continued support throughout the year and urge everyone to prioritize safety by avoiding hazardous practices, such as cooking under power lines, drunk driving, etc.,” added Engr. Agoha.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year filled with peace, joy, and progress.

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Overriding Public Interest: Delta warns against impeding govt projects

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Overriding Public Interest: Delta warns against impeding govt projects

DAN DENT (ASABA)

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Delta State Government has cautioned citizens against impeding projects meant to serve the general public, saying such actions were illegal and constituted an abuse of the law.

Commissioner for Works, Highways and Urban Roads, Comrade Reuben Izeze (middle)  discussing with the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir. Festus Ahon (right) shortly after Inspecting the maintaininers of Uti Road on Wednesday,  while the Project Manager Mr. Milad Boutros (left) look on. PIX: SAMUEL JIBUNOR.

The State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, gave the warning in Effurun on Wednesday during an inspection of the DSC Roundabout Link Road to PTI Junction.

According to him, “no citizen is bigger than the state; I learnt that a citizen has said a particular portion of the road that has been approved cannot be constructed because that is his private property.

“I want to sound it to our people as a note of warning, that, to impede government project in the name of private property is an abuse of the law.

“If your property is on the right of way and we know it is not a road,  this administration has made it a point of duty to pay compensation for the use of such properties in the overriding public interest.

“This project has an overriding public interest; if your property is in the right of way and your property has approval, the best we can do, as we have always done, is to give you compensation.

“But to say you stop government officials from doing their job because you feel you are bigger than the government or you are bigger than the law is absolutely unacceptable.”

Commissioner for Works, Highways and Urban Roads, Comrade Reuben Izeze (right) taking the measurements of the Rod while the zonal Chief Engineer Uvwie and Opke local government Area, Engr. Kporon Ennah (left) look on. PIX: SAMUELm JIBUNOR.

Speaking further,  he said; “so, we are constructing a drainage that would discharge all the water on this road. If you look at this place, it was originally a swamp.

“Meanwhile, this place had all along been intended to be a road that should take traffic from the East-West Road to reduce the volume of traffic on DSC Roundabout and PTI Junction straight to the Eku highway.

“We have come to see what the contractors are doing and I must express my displeasure at the poor quality of engineering work that I have observed here in this drainage.

“In fact, as things stand, considering the volume of water that will be coming from the Julius Berger projects, the existing volume of water from the swamp.

“What is being done here, therefore, necessitates that this drain be done according to the engineering specifications because the volume of water we will be dealing with is enormous.

“However, on getting down here and measuring the distance between the reinforcements, we discovered that the contractor apparently did not pay attention to details.

“So, I have instructed them to remove everything, start afresh and we will come back. They should not put the reinforcement until I have come to inspect what they have done to be sure that they have complied with the spacing as provided for in the Bills of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation.”

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Brutality Victim: Anambra State Executive Council Approves Medical Expenses of Victim

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Brutality Victim: Anambra State Executive Council Approves Medical Expenses of Victim

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo undertakes the medical expenses of a victim of brutality by some contractors of the Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA), Mr. Okechukwu Akaneme.

The governor took this humanitarian decision to relieve the victim while strongly denouncing such despicable conduct. In addition to the governor’s gesture, the contractor has been relieved of his engagement with the state agency (ASWAMA) immediately, to serve as a deterrent to others.

In a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, the victim who was assaulted is being hospitalised.

The Council has resolved to pick up his medical overheads, while sympathising with Akaneme ‘s family and prays for his quick recovery.

This profound empathy reflects Soludo’s sincere dedication to offering not just solutions but also a genuine commitment to providing helping hands, support, and hope to the people whenever and wherever required in the state.

                                                                    END

 Press Release

Anambra State Executive Council Awards More Road Contracts

The 37th Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) has awarded the contracts for the construction of new roads in the state in preparation for the yuletide season.

 This is aimed at ensuring a memorable Christmas for Ndi Anambra, who will be celebrating the season in the state, from across the country and other parts of the globe.

In a release by the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, ANSEC at its 37th Meeting, approved the construction of the 3.75 km Igwe Orizu Road, in Nnewi, to New Idea Construction Company Ltd, and to be completed within six months.

The 10.8 km Nkwor Nnewi to Nkwor Oraifite was awarded to Infratech Construction Ltd at N7.2 billion, with a 12-month completion timeline, while the Oraukwu-Abatete-Nimo bypass in Idemili North measuring 4.922km was awarded to GMG Global Construction and Development Company Ltd, with a delivery date of six months.

At the meeting, the Council observed that many roads awarded at the last executive council meeting, including the New Tarzan Road and the three roads whose contracts were revoked and re-awarded, have not been reported.

Recently, Governor Soludo kept his promise with the completion of the 12.5km Ezira-Umuomaku-Enugu Umuonyia-Achina Road, linking several communities, and the 11.9km Mmiata-Anam-Nzam road, linking the headquarters of Anambra West Local Government Area (LGA).

With the ongoing and completed road projects in the state, Governor Soludo has literally turned Anambra into a construction site in his pursuit of transforming the state into a country-wide destination brand.

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