Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has commended Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, for the significant economic progress recorded in the state under his administration. The President and Chairman of the Council of CIBN, Prof. Pius Olarenwaju, gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to Governor Otti at the Government House, Umuahia. Prof. Olarenwaju said Abia had posted impressive economic indicators, including a 10 per cent increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), an eight per cent reduction in poverty, increased investment inflows and the creation of over 10,000 jobs. “You have, within a…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Minister of Education and Co-Convener of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, has lambasted the Nigerian Senate over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, warning that the lawmakers are “playing with fire” and risking the stability of Nigeria’s democracy. Ezekwesili made the remarks on Friday during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise Television, where she expressed deep disappointment over the Senate’s reported rejection of a provision seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory. Recall that the Senate, while passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, rejected the clause on…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Nigerian military to move decisively to restore peace and security in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State following a deadly terrorist attack on Wednesday. No fewer than 200 residents were reportedly killed by the assailants during the invasion, which plunged the affected communities into mourning and widespread panic. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed this to journalists after a closed-door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said President Tinubu gave the armed forces a clear marching order to move in, flush out the attackers, and ensure the…

By Chido Onumah Against All Odds: A Biography of Innocent Chukwuma emerges not simply as a chronicle of one man’s defiance against the vicissitudes of life, but as a profound meditation on a vanishing ethos in Nigerian public life: the ethos of unyielding, principled insistence. Through its meticulous narration, the book endeavours to safeguard the legacy of a human rights defender without elevating him to an untouchable pedestal, while candidly depicting a trajectory of resistance that acknowledges the profound personal and communal tolls exacted by such endeavours. Its success in this delicate balancing act speaks volumes about both the subject’s…

Our Reporter, Abuja  Leading presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, has launched a scathing attack on the Nigerian Senate over its rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing the action as an “unforgivable act of electoral manipulation” and a direct assault on democracy ahead of the 2027 general election. In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, Obi said the Senate’s decision exposed a deliberate attempt to undermine transparency and entrench chaos in the country’s electoral process, warning that Nigeria was once again validating its reputation as a “now disgraced nation.” The former Anambra…

Our Reporter, Abuja  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to invite members of a faction loyal to former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to a political parties’ stakeholders’ meeting. In a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said it was aware that INEC invited leaders of political parties to a meeting and “extended the invitation to some former members of our party who are purporting to lead a so-called National Caretaker Committee, to represent our party, whereas there…

Our Reporter, Abuja  Major opposition parties in Nigeria have strongly criticised the Senate over its rejection of a clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, describing the decision as a threat to electoral transparency and democratic credibility. In a joint statement on Thursday, signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP; Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC; and Bamofin Ladipo Johnson, National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, the opposition parties said the Senate’s action had raised “serious national concern,” insisting that it marked “a…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has directed all ministries handling ongoing government projects to ensure their completion within three months or face sanctions. The State Commissioner for Information, Ikeuwa Omebe, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the 14th meeting of the Ebonyi State Executive Council (EXCO), presided over by the governor at the Government House, Abakaliki. According to Omebe, the EXCO meeting featured the swearing-in of newly appointed government officials, including members of the State Civil Service Commission, a Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, and the Secretary of the Rural…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), has decried what it described as the economic and fiscal emasculation of local government areas in Nigeria. The organisation said the situation has fuelled insecurity, joblessness and deepening poverty at the grassroots across the country. The Executive Director of CCIDESOR, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, made this known while speaking to journalists in Enugu on the side-lines of a Stakeholders’ Roundtable on the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The roundtable, themed “Reviving Local Governance: Citizens-Led Advocacy for Local Government Budget Accountability and Reform in Nigeria,”…

By Azu Ishiekwene Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – three rogue states that have formed an Alliance of Sahelian States (AES) to resist external pressure from ECOWAS on military rule – have just won the biggest diplomatic jackpot beyond their wildest imagination. Not even a sorcerer would have guessed that, as a reward for their delinquency, this trio would receive support, endorsement actually, from the dominant power in the world since World War 2 – the United States. But much better than prodigals, they are about to receive flowers for their waywardness. According to the BBC, Nick Checker, head of…