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By Idrees Ali and Jasper Ward The U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, President Donald Trump said, after months of pressuring him over accusations of drug-running and illegitimacy in power. Washington has not made such a direct intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose military leader Manuel Noriega, over similar allegations. “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, on Friday paid a New Year courtesy visit to Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti. Speaking to journalists during the visit, Governor Uzodimma said the meeting was not political but a friendly engagement in the spirit of the New Year festivities. According to him, governors of the South-East are determined to work together for the development of the region, irrespective of their political affiliations. He said, “My visit is a courtesy call on the Governor, whom I have also seen is doing very well.…
Our Reporter, Abuja Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has cautioned that Nigeria cannot achieve prosperity by placing heavier tax burdens on an already impoverished population, arguing that “taxing poverty does not create wealth; it only deepens hardship.” In a statement on Friday, Obi said his interactions with global leaders who have successfully transformed their nations reveal one consistent lesson: sustainable economic and social progress begins with national consensus built on honest leadership. “As I travel the world and meet leaders who have transformed their nations, one lesson is clear: lasting progress starts with honesty and shared purpose,” Obi said. …
By Kolawole Ogunbiyi In many societies around the world, particularly in Africa, religion is deeply woven into the social and cultural fabric. Mosques and churches are filled with devout worshippers, and public discourse is frequently infused with appeals to moral values derived from religious teachings. Yet, paradoxically, these same societies are often plagued by high levels of corruption. This contradiction between religiosity and corruption invites serious reflection and urgent action. Nigeria is considered one of the most religious countries in the world to the extent that prayers are offered at the beginning and the close of almost every event organised…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has debunked media reports alleging that he defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi. Wabara described the reports as “planted, mischievous media propaganda” and urged PDP members and the general public to disregard what he termed “fake and misleading social media reports” being circulated by his detractors. He was reacting to claims on social media that he was among South-East leaders who allegedly travelled to Enugu on December 31 to…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Wife of the Governor of Abia State on Thursday welcomed the state’s first baby of the year at Akirika Ukwu Primary Healthcare Centre, Ukwa East Local Government Area, marking a joyful beginning to 2026. The newborn, Miss Chiagoziem Oluebubechi Excessgrace, was delivered at exactly 12:43 a.m. on January 1, 2026, drawing smiles and celebration from health workers, family members, and community leaders present at the facility. The First Lady described the moment as a privilege and affectionately named the baby “Ihuoma,” a name symbolizing good tidings and hope for the New Year. The baby girl is…
Our Reporter, Abuja Former chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has named Abia State Governor Alex Otti as his Person of the Year, citing what he described as a dramatic reversal of decades of governance failure in the South-East state. In a lengthy post on X on Thursday, Odinkalu framed Abia State as a cautionary tale of how democratic institutions can be hollowed out by sustained elite predation—and how credible leadership can begin to restore public faith. Odinkalu recalled that from the start of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic in 1999, Abia endured nearly a quarter-century of what…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The 2027 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has vowed to resist any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 general elections. Obi made the declaration on Wednesday in Enugu while formally defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that the struggle to rescue Nigeria had only just begun. “The will of the Nigerian people is sacrosanct and non-negotiable. Those plotting to subvert it in 2027 should rethink their actions. Nigerians have endured enough,” he said. Drawing from his international engagements, Obi cited Rwanda, Indonesia and several Asian economies as examples…
By Yisa Usman The Nigeria Procurement Certification Programme (NPCP), administered by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with support from the World Bank, represents a strategic policy intervention aimed at professionalising public procurement in Nigeria. Designed as a competency-based certification system, the NPCP establishes a structured pathway for developing procurement officers with the technical expertise, ethical grounding, and leadership capacity required to safeguard public resources and improve service delivery. At its core, the programme aligns academic qualifications, professional experience, structured training, and rigorous assessment into a unified national framework. The conceptual foundation of the NPCP is closely linked to the…
By Sam Amadi One clear realization in 2025 is that we have not made much progress as a society, even as we have built complicated and costly systems of government. We talk about increasing costs of governance. But beyond the financial costs of government, we have the sheer scope and scale of government. In Nigeria, we have three levels of government: the local, state, and federal. Each level has a constitutionally mandated system and process of government. Recently, the Supreme Court restated that each of the levels of government must be democratically elected. Each has its own bureaucracy, and the…