Author: Editor

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Enugu State Government says it will henceforth punish any illegal Taskforce on revenue collection across the state. The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, said this, adding that Governor Peter Mbah’s administration was committed to transparency, accountability and traceability. The SSG further disclaimed a report that a team called “Government House Environmental Taskforce” was set up by the state government with the mandate to collect revenue. The SSG frowned at the illegal taskforce and vowed to investigate the report, and punish those parading themselves as members of the task force in accordance with  the…

…Says Obi not a bad person Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia As political realignment thickens ahead of the 2027 polls, Bashir El-Rufai, the son of former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has blamed some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for poisoning his mind against the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi. El-Rufai’s son who disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Monday, confessed that the former Anambra State Governor “is after all not a bad person.” This is coming few hours after his father dumped the APC for the…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia President Bola Tinubu, Monday unveiled the Planning Committee of the much-anticipated National Youth Confab. The committee was unveiled at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja. This is coming five months after the President in his October 1st broadcast, hinted of convening a National Youth Conference to address some of the concerns being raised by youths in the country. The Committee is to be chaired by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Development, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya. Inaugurating the committee, President Tinubu challenged youths to take advantage of the opportunity to redefine the fortunes of millions of…

Ugo Nosiri, Owerri Center for Gender Equity and Sustainable Development, CGESD, has called for an end to discrimination against women. The centre while harping on the need to investigate the Akpabio/ Akpoti-Uduaghan saga also called for “an end to the silencing of women and issues about women in all our lawmaking chambers as well as other public decision making tables.” Executive Director of the Centre, Constance Meju, made these demands amongst others, as the centre joined other women across the globe to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. She spoke against the  suspension of one of the four women in…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu  A High Court sitting in Enugu, presided over by Justice Ngozi Orji, has committed the  Acting Chief Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Dr. Ngozi Unaogu; and Head of Clinical Services, Dr. Ubochi; to prison over contempt proceedings initiated by Dr. Afam Ndu, principal of the School of Basic Mental Health Nursing of the institution.  It would be recalled that Justice Ebele Mabel Egumbge of the High Court of Enugu State had, in 2020, ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Dr. Afam Ndu in suit No. E712017, and awarded Dr. Ndu ₦2.5 million in damages…

…Seeks coalition against Tinubu in 2027 Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia After months of behind-the-scene consultation and political realignments ahead of the 2027 polls, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has finally dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. El-Rufai who was among the founding members of the APC defected to the Social Democratic Party after leaving his former party. This is as he seeks coalition with other opposition members for a united front against the APC in 2027. The former Governor in a statement on his X handle, cited a growing misalignment between his personal values and the current direction of…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has been criticised for banning public preaching and crusading in the state. Ikengaonline reported that the governor had claimed that public preaching, particularly in markets and parks, causes noise pollution and disturbance to residents, and that defaulters are likely to face N500,000 fine. The governor also stated that his administration was cracking down on fake pastors and prophets in the state. Reacting in a statement, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, said the move by Soludo tramples on the rights of citizens, against “Section 38…

…Calls for thorough investigation Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Education Minister, and Good Governance Advocate, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has demanded that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, should step down to allow for thorough investigation into the sexual harassment allegation against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Ezekwesili made the demand Sunday, in a statement titled “Urgent Letter To The Nigerian Senate to Course-Correct Democratic Breaches and Injustice Against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.” She said the Deputy Senate President should take over from Akpabio, and institute an independent investigation panel to dispassionately look at the merits of the allegation. The former Minister…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has, cautioned the incumbent Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, against misconstruing the call on him to ensure transparency in the investigation of the sexual harassment allegation against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as an attempt to remove a Senate President of Niger Delta extraction. Saraki described as “cheap politics and trivialising of a serious issue” the claim by Akpabio that the calls for open process in handling the matter, was a veiled attempt to sack him. Recall that Akpabio, had while receiving a delegation from the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, MOUAU, Professor Maduebibisi Offor Iwe, has appealed to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to lift the embargo on employment in the university to enable the management fill the vacuum created by the absconment of lecturers on foreign training and continued migration of personnel in search of greener pasture abroad otherwise known as JAPA. Professor Iwe who spoke during a press conference marking his fourth anniversary as VC, said the university would have serious personnel crisis if it did not recruit this year. He said: “A lot of young people…