Author: Editor
…Pro-chancellor insists council can meet anywhere, rules out acting VC Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Concerns are mounting over the decision of the Governing Council of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), to relocate the interview for the appointment of the institution’s 7th Vice-Chancellor from the university campus to Abuja. The decision, announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Governing Council, gave shortlisted candidates just one week’s notice to prepare for the trip to the federal capital. Insider sources estimate that the relocation could cost the university more than ₦50 million in logistics, covering accommodation, transportation, and other expenses…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Five members of the United States Congress have introduced a bill proposing visa restrictions and asset freezes against former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and other individuals and groups over alleged severe violations of religious freedom, including the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The proposed legislation, titled Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, was sponsored by Representatives Chris Smith, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Bill Huizenga. If passed into law, the bill would require the US Secretary of State to submit regular reports…
By Nnamdi Elekwachi What I find increasingly funny these days is how the supporters of today’s government now celebrate state visits. In Nigeria of today, state visits, though part of diplomatic recognition and foreign policy yardstick, are now a measure of performance. Even Reno Omokri tweeted the recently announced state visit President Bola Tinubu and his wife Oluremi will be embarking on to the Buckingham Palace later in March this year. In the said tweet, and as he is wont to, the influence peddler inset a caricature of Peter Obi, not just for any comical effect but for political baiting…
By Cheta Nwanze Alu gba afọ, ọbụrụ omenani.” – Igbo proverb. I am Igbo, and in the not-so-distant past, my people killed twins at birth. Multiple births were seen as an abomination, a curse to be drowned in pots or left to die in the evil forest. This practice, which was quite widespread in what is today’s Southeast and South-South Nigeria, and Southwest Cameroon, was first banned by the Obong of Calabar in 1856, a good 20 years before Mary Slessor arrived. When Obong Eyo first pronounced that killing twins should be stopped in his domain, the practice was defended…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Dr Ikpegbu Emeka-Yellow, has said he would not join issues with what he described as political undertakers bent on destroying the party. Emeka-Yellow, a former Commissioner at the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC), dismissed his critics as “men of yesterday” and “cheap attention seekers,” insisting that he had no time to engage them. He was reacting to a statement credited to the factional Publicity Secretary of the Abraham Amah group, Chief Jude Udeachara, who had earlier described the appointment of the…
By Promise Adiele The subliminal expression, “let Nigeria collapse, let us all go our separate ways,” is a dominant mindset for many people across the country. It resonates with tenacious assurance in the mental process of those who subscribe to such an idea. Surely, no one would blame them for believing that Nigeria has expired. Its twin expression is “the Nigerian project is not working. To your tents, O Israel.” Those who accommodate the second submission borrow a leaf from the Biblical book of 1 Kings 12:16, where the general discontent of the ten northern tribes of Israel towards King…
By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu There’s no better way to give proper attention to Valentine’s Day than celebrating the essence of womanhood. It is incumbent on me to deliver knockout punches on the evil men who take pride in the desecration of the pearl of life named woman. All the days of the calendar ought to belong to the edification of women. I have spoken! To be a woman is to be a god – not just a goddess because gendering the creative force in life amounts to a diminution of her immense powers. A woman ought to be celebrated as…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu It was an emotional evening on Tuesday at the Amadeo Event Centre, Enugu, as tears flowed during the Night of Tribute and Service of Songs held in honour of the late Senator Okechukwu Ezea. People from all walks of life—particularly prominent personalities from Enugu North Senatorial District—trooped to the venue to pay their last respects. The audience included politicians, clergy, members of the business community, captains of industry, top retired military officers, media practitioners and other well-wishers, who filled the hall to capacity. The Enugu State Government was represented by the Deputy Governor, Barrister Ifeanyi Ossai. In…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has disassociated herself from a fake Ponzi scheme video currently circulating online. In a statement posted on her official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Okonjo-Iweala described the video— which promises huge returns on investment of up to ₦2.6 million within the first month— as “fake and AI-manipulated,” warning Nigerians to be vigilant to avoid being duped. The former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy said that although the authorities are already handling the matter, it was important to personally alert the public.…
By Zainab Suleiman Okino The hallowed chambers of the National Assembly and the Senate in particular, were never meant to be a theatre for the absurd. It is supposed to be a place where robust conversations revolving around Nigeria’s progress and development take place; where representatives of the Nigerian people disagree without being disagreeable and resolve issues in the nation’s interest. Yet under the stewardship of Godswill Akpabio, the “Red Chamber” increasingly feels like a stage for a comedy of errors; one where resolutions are at the expense of the Nigerian people. This week, the simmering frustration finally boiled over…