Author: Editor
Our Reporter, Abuja President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to approve new appointments to lead Nigeria’s key petroleum regulatory agencies, following the resignations of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Gbenga Komolafe of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The resignations, announced on Wednesday, mark the end of tenures that began in 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, when both agencies were established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). In letters sent to the Senate, President Tinubu nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of the NUPRC and Engineer…
Our Reporter, Abuja The National Opposition Movement (NOM) on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s newly signed tax laws, describing them as “an exploitative racket” redolent of what it called Tinubu’s coercive Lagos State revenue template, and demanding their immediate suspension. Speaking at a press conference held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, the Spokesperson of the opposition coalition group, Hon. Chille Igbawua, warned that the proposed tax regime was not a reform but “an assault on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians” at a time the country is grappling with worsening insecurity, poverty and economic distress. Addressing…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Some members of the House of Representatives have raised concerns that recently enacted tax reform laws were altered after passage without legislative approval, warning of possible constitutional challenges. The lawmakers alleged on Wednesday that versions of the tax laws gazetted and circulated by the Federal Ministry of Information differ materially from the harmonised bills passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu. Raising the matter under a point of privilege, Abdussamad Dasuki (APC, Sokoto) said the discrepancies go beyond clerical corrections, insisting that provisions passed by both chambers were inserted, deleted or modified without…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Alex Otti has signed into law and officially unveiled the Abia State 25-Year Development Plan, assuring that the document will remain sustainable through 2050. Unveiling the plan at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, Governor Otti said it is a holistic development framework upon which the state’s policy direction and resource allocation will be evaluated. He said: “The 25-Year Abia State Development Plan, which we have signed into law and unveiled, is a dynamic document that captures our resource advantages as a state, our current position on the development ladder, and where we hope to be in…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The nationwide protest embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday paralysed activities in Enugu metropolis as the Enugu State chapter marched around the city in compliance with directives from the national leadership over rising insecurity in Nigeria. The peaceful protest, led by the state NLC Chairman, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, took workers through major streets in Enugu, chanting slogans such as “Another challenge! Another challenge!!” The workers also displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria is bleeding,” “End terrorism, banditry and kidnapping now,” “End insecurity now,” and “Poverty fuels insecurity—create jobs, support local industries.” Some…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Ohanaeze Ndigbo has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant a presidential pardon to the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that a political solution remains the only viable means of resolving his matter. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation also expressed concern over the low level of voter registration and poor statistics emerging from the South-East in the ongoing Permanent Voter Registration (PVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Abia State chapter, Dr Chukwuemeka Okwuonu, made the remarks while addressing a press conference…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State Chapter, and its affiliate bodies in the state have embarked on a peaceful protest in Abakaliki, the state capital, over what they described as the increasing rate of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and incessant killings in different parts of the country. The protesters, in their numbers, converged at the Pa Ngele Orunta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, as early as 7 a.m. for the peaceful protest. They marched from the stadium gate to the Old Enugu–Ogoja Express Road and returned to the stadium, chanting solidarity songs and urging the state and federal governments,…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to first tackle insecurity in Nigeria before going to help other African countries. The NLC Chairman in Abia State, Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya, who spoke during the nationwide protest against insecurity on Wednesday, accused Tinubu and other Nigerian leaders of treating the issue of insecurity with levity. He regretted that while Nigeria is besieged by terrorists, the President is fighting coup plotters in other countries. “While Nigeria is on fire, its leaders are chasing rats,” the NLC lamented. Comrade Ogbonnaya challenged President Tinubu to rise to the…
By Chido Onumah The eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (the UN Anti-Corruption Conference) or CoSP 11 kicked off on Monday, December 15, in Doha, Qatar. CoSP is “the main decision-making body of the Convention. It supports parties and signatories in their implementation of the Convention and provides policy guidance to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to develop and implement anti-corruption activities. The Conference convenes every two years, bringing together representatives of States that have acceded to the Convention and other relevant stakeholders to review its implementation,…
By Promise Adiele One iconic quote that has shaped the psychology of opposition politics and the formulation of resistance creed is Wole Soyinka’s seminal submission, “the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” It is contained in his prison memoir, The Man Died, published in 1972. In all its fecund and piercing potential, the quote galvanizes people of good conscience to speak against tyranny in the corridors of power, anywhere it may exist. Although the quote catalyzes Marxist sensibilities, Soyinka has never pretended or postured to be a Marxist. As a dedicated activist whose documented…