Author: Editor
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have told Governors to stop tampering with council funds under the guise of joint allocation. They argued that the violation of Local Government budgets by State Governors amounts to financial crime. This was the position of participants at a one-day training organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) and Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), with funding support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom. The training, titled “Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability for Local Government Stakeholders,” was held in Umuahia, the Abia…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu Security expert, Mr. Sam Otoboeze, has identified corruption, proliferation of illegal arms, and erosion of family values as major drivers of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. Otoboeze spoke on Friday at the 2025 Annual Convention of the Nsukka Journalists Forum (NJF) in Enugu State, where he delivered a lecture themed “Securing the Future: Enhancing Peace, Trust, and Development of Nsukka Cultural Zone.” He stressed the urgent need to restore family values and reform the nation’s educational system, which, he argued, produces graduates dependent on white-collar jobs rather than skilled entrepreneurs. “Our educational system does not encourage skills acquisition. When…
Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka Former Chief of Staff to the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Chief Primus Odili, has alleged that some lawmakers who once served in the State House of Assembly had no secondary school education before their election. Odili, who spoke at the monthly Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, in Awka, said the situation prevailed before the emergence of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the ruling party in the state. “Before the advent of APGA, we know the situation in Anambra State. We had other political parties ruling the state.…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu Farmers in Enugu State have commended the Federal Government for distributing agricultural inputs and equipment to boost food production in the state. The distribution, carried out on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), provided small-scale farmers with items such as herbicides, fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, solar water pumps, chisels, rice growth enhancers, cassava organic fertilizer, and other farm tools. Beneficiaries included members of commodity associations, cooperative groups, persons with disabilities, farmers with special needs, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Mr. Patrick Mbah, Chairman of the Graduate Farmers Association, Enugu, thanked the government for…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Church of England has appointed Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury — the first woman ever to hold the position in its centuries-long history. She will formally take up the role in March 2026. Mullally’s appointment marks a historic milestone, coming just over a decade after women were first permitted to serve as bishops in 2014. As Archbishop of Canterbury, she will lead the Church of England and serve as spiritual head of the global Anglican Communion, which counts around 85 million members in 165 countries. In a statement, Mullally said…
Our Reporter, Abuja Former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and current senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has urged labour unions to exercise restraint in their industrial actions, warning that in trying to protect some workers, they must not endanger the livelihoods of many others. Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, Oshiomhole weighed in on the recent conflict between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery, which led to a nationwide strike before it was suspended following government intervention. The former Edo State governor emphasised that the right to unionisation…
Our Reporter, Abuja A former United Nations Special Rapporteur and human rights advocate, Professor Joy Ezeilo, has accused the Lagos State Government of orchestrating deliberate economic victimization of Igbo traders, warning that the trend amounts to an attempt at “economic cleansing.” Ezeilo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in a strongly worded statement on her verified social media handle on Thursday, said the actions of the state government—particularly at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex—exposed a deliberate pattern of marginalization. She expressed dismay after watching the Lagos Commissioner for Physical Planning, during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief,…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has expressed deep concern over the disappearance of 13-year-old Joel Ozaveshe Odimboro, who has been missing since May 2025 while in the custody of his father, Mr. Taiye Odimboro. In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, on Friday, RULAAC accused the police of complicity, delays, and cover-up in the handling of the case, warning that the boy’s life may be in grave danger. The group recalled that Mr. Odimboro had signed a written undertaking to produce the child on or before June 30, 2025, but…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Jewish worshipers from seven Igbo-speaking states, on Thursday, stormed Umuahia to pray for the unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Their action comes just two days after Igbo elders staged a peaceful protest in front of the Abia Government House, also demanding Kanu’s freedom. Kanu has been in detention at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, following his extraordinary rendition from Kenya. The worshipers, who turned out in large numbers with women and children, later held a solidarity rally in Kanu’s…
In ‘Truly’ Richie’s candid new memoir, out now, the Grammy winner shares a never-before-told story of his “eccentric” friend and collaborator Michael Jackson By Janine Rubenstein The Grammy winner and American Idol judge, 76, has released his new memoir Truly, out Sept. 30, and in it, he’s sharing fascinating never-before-told stories. “To be honest with you, I don’t know how I remembered a lot of stuff,” the star told PEOPLE exclusively of his writing process. One memory that stood out was the bond he had with close friend Michael Jackson at the peak of his fame. In Truly, he describes…