Author: Editor
Dr. Kole Shettima, Africa Director of the MacArthur Foundation, paid a courtesy visit to the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) today in Abuja, reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to supporting whistleblower protection and anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria. During the visit, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, Dr. Chido Onumah, expressed gratitude to Dr. Shettima and the MacArthur Foundation for their consistent support over the years. He highlighted AFRICMIL’s progress in promoting whistleblowing and whistleblower protection through its Corruption Anonymous (CORA) project, which aims to build support for whistleblower protection and has contributed significantly to anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria and West Africa.…
Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Police in Anambra State have clarified the recent escape of two suspects linked to the murder of late lawmaker, Hon. Justice Azuka, representing Onitsha 1 State Constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly. Ikengaonline reported that two of the arrested suspects escaped the police custody when they led an operation to apprehend the receiver and recover the operational vehicles used in their criminal activities. The reported escape has generated reactions from the public, with many accusing police of mishandling the arrest of the two principal suspects involved in the murder case. Briefing Journalists in Awka, the…
By Owei Lakemfa The Africa Union, AU, 38th Summit from February 15-16, 2025 promised to be challenging as the body had to elect a new Chairperson for the African Union Commission, AUC, which is its engine room. The Commission is the AU Secretariat and its Chair, its chief executive officer. In the last eight years, that seat had been occupied by Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat who seemed to have been sleeping on duty. His country, Chad, was under the French orbit, and Faki, as Chadian Foreign Minister, and then President Idris Deby, carried out questionable activities in the Central African…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu Chairmen of the 17 Local Government Councils in Enugu State have rolled out their achievements in office after 100 days in office in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s development agenda. The chairmen did this at a one-day performance appraisal workshop of their administrations where they presented their scorecards before members of the public. The chairmen said that their development plans were aligned with the overall spectrums of the state government’s development template. During the review meeting, which attracted resource persons in leadership and development, the chairmen, their deputies and other officials conducted peer-review and evaluation of their…
Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Anambra State Government has issued a stern warning to underperforming nurses in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state, threatening to sack nurses found wanting in their duties. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, handed down the warning during a multi-stakeholder strategic dialogue and reflection meeting with state, local government and community primary healthcare centre, PHC actors. The one-day multi-stakeholder meeting was part of the Strengthening Public Accountability for Results and Knowledge (SPARK II) project implemented by Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC Nnewi) in collaboration with Community Empowerment Network (COMEN) and Civil Right Concern (CRC) in…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI), has appealed to the Enugu State Government to provide Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) access to sexual and reproductive needs. Mrs Catherine Edeh, VDI Executive Director, who stated this during a workshop in Enugu, listed such needs as contraceptives, condoms and family planning. The group also decried discrimination against PWDs especially women and girls in accessing healthcare services in many hospitals in the state. The workshop was entitled, “Interactive Session with Healthcare Providers on Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services For Women and Girls With Disabilities in Enugu…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs Nonye Ayeni, and the Obi-of-Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, have urged residents of South-East to embrace export business to grow Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and reduce poverty in the region. The Executive Director made the call in a keynote during a four-day Export Business Roundtable South-East 2025 with the theme: “South-East Nigeria’s Export Future: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges,” being held in Enugu. Ayeni noted that the four-day forum would be exploring the pathways of unlocking South-East export potentials where participants would leverage on networking, connectivity, technology and digital…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Abia State Football Association, Thursday, impeached its Chairman, Dr Obioma Onyeaghala, over alleged misconduct, financial misappropriation, abuse of office and maladministration. He was impeached at the extraordinary congress of the association held at its secretariat in Umuahia although he was absent at the congress. After some of his alleged misconducts were reeled out by the Vice Chairman of the FA, Mr Okechi Ubani, Chairman of Abia Angels Football Club, Mr Johnson Nwosu, moved the motion for his impeachment, while the Secretary of Enyimba FC, Onyukwu Onyeke, seconded the motion. Earlier in his address at the…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki At least four persons have been killed in renewed boundary dispute between Ogwor community in Ishiagu and Umuobor Community in Akaeze both in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The three persons killed were said to be part of a contingent that entered the disputed land to harvest yams on Wednesday while a woman was killed on Monday. Background The two communities have been having a dispute over a fertile piece of land known as Elueke lands for many decades. The dispute had been adjudicated up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria with Umuobor being…
By Azu Ishiekwene Many Nigerians experience visa refusal daily. They don’t need the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to invoke hell against any country to make the point. Unfortunately, Ribadu’s fury after the Canadian High Commission refused visas to Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and other officials for the winter Invictus Games in Vancouver Whistler was directed at an unlikely target. Canada can be criticised for many things, but Ottawa’s faults do not include consular meanness. In the last five years, Canada has been the third-biggest destination for Nigerian immigrants, especially students, after the US and the…