Author: Editor

By Azu Ishiekwene The proper thing to do when readers respond to a newspaper article is to respect their right of reply. There were two irate responses to my article last week, “Not the Iran We Thought It Was: What Has Changed in the Persian Gulf.”  One, entitled “Not the Azu We Thought He Was,” by Yakubu Musa, a guest author for 21st Century Chronicle, an online newspaper, and the other, “Basking in the Euphoria of Narrative Origami,” by Mahfuz Mundadu, a friend of one Hassan Karofi, who claimed he is a journalist. Both articles could have been from the…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu  The membership hemorrhage affliction of the Labour Party (LP), seems to know no end as the party has yet again lost another member of the House of Representatives thus making it two in just one week. After the member representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency, Professor Paul Nnamchi on Tuesday announced his cross carpeting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the house, the member  representing Enugu North and South Federal Constituency, Honourable Chimaobi Atu has dumped the party for the ruling APC. Just like Nnamchi, Atu announced his cross carpeting in a…

…As area councils strike enters 3rd month  Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has decried the prolonged ongoing teacher’s strike in Abuja over the non-implementatiom of the N70,000 monthly minimum wage. Obi in a statement on his X handle on Thursday, stated that education is the most critical component of human development. He emphasised that the progress of a country is closely dependent on the education of its people. “It is a known and verifiable study that the more educated a nation is, the more developed it is. Consequently, the most important investment…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki  The Ebonyi State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it recorded a total seizure of 91.768kg of cannabis sativa and psychotropic substances from January to date. The state Commander, Mr Okechukwu Nkere, disclosed this in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State to commemorate the 2025 United Nations Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking. Nkere said that the 2025 celebration, tagged “The Evidence is Clear; Invest in Prevention,” was to advocate, educate and enlighten members of the society to resist the pressure of succumbing to abuse of drugs and illicit substances. “The Command also arrested…

By Monday Onyekachi Ubani About six years ago, my client, a UK-based Nigerian widow became the target of an audacious scheme orchestrated by a notorious syndicate of land grabbers operating under the guise of a land owning family in Lagos. Their objective was clear: to dispossess her of her rightful ownership of three plots of land situated behind the former Tasty Fried Chicken building on Opebi Road, Ikeja. In a disturbing abuse of judicial process, these individuals approached a Magistrate Court then at Ikeja Local Airport, and by misrepresentation and fraudulent manipulation, secured a writ of possession against my client.…

…Sam Amadi to speak on ‘S’East govs, JAMB and tertiary education in Igboland Our Reporter, Abuja, with Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia  After nearly six months, the famous Ikengaonline townhall returns today, Thursday, June 26, with the Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr Sam Amadi, as guest speaker. The former Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), will speak on the theme: “South-East Governors, JAMB and Tertiary Education in Igboland.” This is contained in a statement by the Editor-in-Chief of the South-East focused accountability on-line media platform, Uche Ugboajah. The explosive monthly meeting scheduled for 7:00 pm (WAT), will be…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Federal Government has carried out a one day training workshop on Sack Farming and Home Gardening for South-East women farmers and people with special needs. During the training held in Enugu on Wednesday, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, urged women farmers in the geopolitical zone to embrace sack farming and home gardening to enhance agriculture and food security in the country. He said that the workshop aimed to sensitise small scale women farmers and people with special needs in the region on sack farming and home gardening.…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu  The Chief Vehicle inspection Officer in Enugu State, Engr. Val Chime, told newsmen in Enugu on Wednesday that the agency would soon revoke driving license of fresh drivers not passing through VIO driving test. Chime said that after going through a driving school; the next step is the compulsory driving test at the VIO office/facility to check for practical proficiency and class of vehicle budding drivers would drive. According to him, it is the VIO officer after the driving test that will decide the class A,B,C,D, E, F,G etc the fresh driver would get drivers’ license on.…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia No fewer than four travellers were killed and 10 others injured on Wednesday in a bomb explosion that rocked  Komala village on the Maiduguri–Damboa Road, Borno State. This is coming less than two months after a bomb blast claimed eight persons and injured 12 in the state. Local sources say the blast occurred when a Suzuki pick-up truck ran over an improvised explosive device. Meanwhile, the  Borno State Police Command, has via the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Nahum Daso,confirmed the incident. He said the injured victims had been rushed to the hospital for treatment. “I…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia  Despite strong opposition against the nomination of Dr Michael Ekpai from Cross River State as the Chairman of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, the Senate, Wednesday, confirmed his nomination by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. Public condemnation had trailed Ekpai’s nomination, with the critics alleging that it is a ploy to hijack the state’s electoral body. Those opposed to the nomination say it is suspicious to appoint a non-indigene to head such a sensitive position in another state. Odey’s confirmation followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in…