Author: Editor
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Barely 48 hours after Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, was declared winner of the February 25 presidential poll, the Court of Appeal, Friday granted leave to Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party; and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to inspect documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the poll. This is following two separate ex parte applications filed by Obi and Atiku respectively. The duo who came third and second respectively according to the result of the presidential poll announced by the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, alleged substantial…
The World Health Organization (WHO) says an estimated 1.5 billion people globally live with hearing loss. The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, made this known in her message to mark and commemorate the 2023 World Hearing Day with theme: ’Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality.” She also said that the number could rise to over 2.5 billion by 2030. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the world hearing day is held on March 3 each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear…
By Owei Lakemfa The 2023 Nigeria presidential and National Assembly elections were contentious and controversial with some calling for outright cancellation. While we all have our views none of which should be discountenanced, I find it curious that some quote the reports of international election observers as if it were the gospel truth. As someone who has officially and unofficially observed elections in Africa, Europe and Latin America, I suggest to those relying on such reports, to do so with the consciousness that observing elections is not value-free. International election monitors or observers are not tourists interested in wildlife, sunbathing or…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Nsukka Journalists Foundation (NJF), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called on various political parties in Enugu State and their candidates to eschew violence ahead of the March 11, 2023 Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections in Enugu North zone. The group said this against the backdrop of reports of threats of looming violence by some political actors ahead of the polls. This was contained in a release by its public relations officer, Mr Emmanuel Ikechukwu, and made available to Journalists in Enugu. “We cautioned all political actors and their associates against ‘adopting violence in an election designed to…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The confusion over the use of old currency notes has been laid to rest by the Supreme Court which Friday, set aside the ban on the use of the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes as legal tenders. The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel of Justices, held that the old banknotes should remain valid legal tenders until December 31, 2023. It held that the old Naira notes should be used alongside the re-designed currencies. The apex court faulted President Muhammadu Buhari for the naira re-design policy without due consultation with the Council…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The coordinator Enugu State Grassroots Boxing Talent Hunt, Okechukwu, has presented N10,000 each to 17 young talented boxers discovered during the 2022 boxing talent hunt competition in Enugu State. He made the presentation at the Grand Finale of the competition held in Enugu. He said the boxers were discovered across the 17 local government areas of the state. “We also have four boxers that their International Passport are still undergoing processing with the Nigeria Immigration Service,” he said. He mentioned the boxers to include, Chinaza Okoronkwo, Zoe Okoronkwo, Isreal Ogbodo and Chinagorom Ngwu. According to him the boxers would travel outside the country…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Member representing Aba South state constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Obinna Ichita, has written to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, demanding explanations on how he spent the N27.4 billion World Bank largesse for road rehabilitation in Aba. The lawmaker in a letter through his lawyer, Mr Aloy Ejimakor, requested the Governor under the Freedom of Information Act, to furnish him with accounting details of how the State Government disbursed the funds. Ichita also sought to know the identities of contractors that handled the projects and how much they were awarded. The letter made available to…
Our Reporter, Abuja The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called his supporters and the youths to go out en masse to cast their votes for the Labour Party candidates in the March 11 governorship and state assembly elections nationwide. Obi made the call through posts he personally made through his verified Twitter handle Thursday evening. The LP flag bearer reminded his supporters how they braved the obstacles and trooped out en masse on February 25, to vote for him, and asked them not to despair because of the current state of affairs. “On 25th February 2023, Nigerians…
By Azu Ishiekwene The last thing he wants to hear is that he desires anything other than what is good for Nigeria. Hero of Nigeria’s civil war; former military president who supervised the first-post war transition to civilian rule; two-term civilian president; and a much sought-after African leader, Olusegun Obasanjo considers it beneath his status to suggest he can sometimes be wrong about his choices for the country. He has mastered make-belief uber-patriotism over the years, cultivating this ruse into an art form that disguises his large ego. Yet, it won’t be a bad thing if he had the modesty…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Dissatisfied with the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to transmit the results of last Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections from the polling units, protesters have stormed INEC office in Umuahia, Abia State to register their grievances. The protesters under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society, South East chapter, accused INEC of colluding with anti-democratic elements to subvert the will of voters at the polls. They rejected the outcome of the polls, alleging that the original results which INEC staff failed to upload from the various polling units were later doctored at…