Author: Editor
By Owei Lakemfa The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, suffering from serious arthritis, cerebral malaria and a splitting headache by three countries, turns 50 on May 28, 2025. It had a dream of regional integration, including a free and seamless flow of persons, services and capital, the elimination of customs duties, and joint development of transport, communication, energy and monetary policies. The citizens of Member States are supposed to be accepted as community citizens. The major step on free movement of persons ECOWAS achieved in the last five decades is that a person can travel and stay in…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki Senators from the South-East have lamented the exclusion of the region from the Federal government’s N380bn intervention under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund. The Senators in a motion moved during Thursday plenary sitting by Senator Kenneth Eze representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone lamented that no money was allocated to the zone out of the total sum of N380bn in the 2025 budget. He said: “In the 2025 Appropriations Act, the sum of N3.2 trillion was allocated under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, out of which N380 Billion was earmarked specifically for Irrigation Development Projects to…
By Azu Ishiekwene The last time a public official wept on national TV, Nigerians regretted offering her towels instead of buckets to collect her tears. She was acting, but we didn’t know it. Diezani Allison-Madueke had just been appointed Minister of Transport and went on a tour to assess some major roads. At the Benin end of the Lagos-Benin highway, she broke down and wept. She was seeing for the first time, outside her bubble, what Nigerians knew and endured daily: poor, hazardous roads. Her tears changed nothing. She left the roads in a worse state than she found them,…
…Reveals how Ikpeazu spent more money, couldn’t deliver P’Harcourt rd Aba Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Gov. Alex Otti says his administration has procured 20 electric buses for mass transit system which will be unveiled in two months time. Governor Otti disclosed this while addressing Aba community who organized a thanksgiving carnival tagged ‘Promise Kept Carnival’ at Umuagbai Secondary School premises, Port Harcourt Road, Aba in celebration of the Governor for reconstructing and completing Port Harcourt Road, abandoned for over 3 decades. This is as he explained that contrary to allegations and claims by the opposition, his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, spent more…
By Maxwell Menkiti Ngene In the 1980s, Nigeria embarked on a unique experiment in social reengineering. The War Against Indiscipline (WAI) campaign, launched by Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, aimed to tackle the pervasive problem of indiscipline in Nigerian society. Brigadier Idiagbon’s declaration, “Indiscipline is the bane of Nigerian society,” served as a rallying cry for the campaign. This public enlightenment campaign, spearheaded by the Nigerian media, sought to instill discipline and civic responsibility in the citizenry. The WAI campaign yielded remarkable results, at least initially. Nigerians from all walks of life began to exhibit positive changes in behavior and attitude. They…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki Suspected warlords have set fire to an excavator used in the boundary demarcation between Abaomege and Ishinkwo communities in Onicha Local Government Area, Ebonyi State. The two communities have been embroiled in a conflict since 1912 over a fertile land, resulting in numerous deaths and property losses worth billions of naira. Governor Francis Nwifuru established a committee to resolve the crisis, which issued a white paper recommending demarcation as a permanent solution. The process began in February but faced a setback on Tuesday, May 20, when the excavator was burnt. Journalists, soldiers, and local officials inspected the…
Maxim Uzoatu, Awka Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, has netted a new bigwig in the personage of Okwunze Aguata, Chief (Dr) Anthony Ikenna Obele, who believes passionately in his Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) initiative. Chief Obele, one of the biggest-known names in real estate and hospitality business in Lagos and Africa, has caught the bug to key into Mr. Governor’s drive of creating a liveable and prosperous Anambra State by single-handedly financing the construction of a 4.2km road network around his native Ezinifite town and environs in Aguata LGA, Anambra State. The project which satisfies Governor Soludo’s prototype…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has again, slashed petrol pump price by N15 as the essential commodity now sells for between N875 and N905 per litre, depending on location. The downward review of price, which took effect across all regions and partner retail outlets, was posted on the official social media handle of Dangote Refinery on Thursday. With the new price regime, Lagos residents will now pay N875, while those in the North-East and South-South will pay N905 per litre. A breakdown of the revised prices shows, Lagos: N875, South-West: N885, North-East: N905, North-West & Central: N895, and South-South…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Barely two months after declaring emergency rule in Rivers State, and appointing a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state, President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, sought the consideration and approval of the Senate and House of Representatives for N1.48 trillion appropriation bill for Rivers State. The request was contained in a letter read at plenary by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. According to Mr President, the request, when approved, would be used “by the Emergency Rule Government of Rivers State to provide for education, agriculture, provision of free drugs, and others.” Akpabio explained that ₦166…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has inaugurated vanguard campaign against human trafficking in secondary schools in Enugu State. The South-East Zonal Commander of the Agency, Mr Jonathan Ukpai, said in Enugu that the programme was carried out in collaboration with International Center for Migration and Policy Development (ICMPD). According to him, the agency inaugurated 30 students each in Community Secondary School Obeagu, in Nkanu West, Local Government Area and Community Secondary School Obuoffia respectively as NAPTIP vanguard. The commander said that the NAPTIP vanguard would carry out campaign against human trafficking…