Author: Editor

 By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu The oil-rich Niger Delta is an open wound on the conscience of the Nigerian nation. As Uthman dan Fodio famously said, “Conscience is an open wound – only the truth can heal it.” It is incumbent on Nigeria to come to terms with the truth holding it at the jugular for the country to make the needed progress. Many Nigerians have conveniently forgotten about Ijaw (Izon) freedom fighter, Henry Okah, who was on January 21, 2013 sentenced to a 24-year jail term in South Africa over two car bombings in Nigeria claimed by the Movement for…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have commended the Abia State Government for its transparency in budgeting and implementation of social protection programmes. UNICEF Lead Consultant, Professor Frances Obafemi, gave the commendation while speaking with journalists during a workshop on programme-based budgeting for social protection, held in Umuahia. Prof. Obafemi described the Governor Alex Otti-led administration as “remarkably transparent” in its budgeting process, noting that the quality of openness demonstrated by the state informed UNICEF’s partnership with Abia. “Abia has continued to operate a transparent budgetary system and is also willing to…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that no alliance among former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi can stop President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. Kalu, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today, boasted that President Tinubu’s performance in managing Nigeria’s economy and governance would secure him a second term. According to the lawmaker, who served as Governor of Abia State when Tinubu governed Lagos in 1999, the President’s achievements and political networks give him a clear edge over any…

Our Reporter, New York  Nigerian filmmaker and practitioner of the Igbo traditional religion, Nze Tobe Osigwe, has asserted that Odinala — the indigenous spirituality of the Igbo people — is superior to Christianity and other organized religions. Osigwe, a graduate of Theatre Arts, made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica. According to him, Christianity serves as a preparatory phase compared to Odinala, which he likened to a higher level of spiritual enlightenment. “Anyone who has gone through Christianity and still wants to further their knowledge will see that the next point of call is traditional…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, may have stirred controversy following the release of a list of projects he claimed to have attracted to his constituency, as one of his constituents, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, has challenged him to an independent media verification of the said projects. Chief Chinasa, who serves as the Abia State Liaison Officer at the National Assembly, also urged the Deputy Speaker to account for “tens of billions of naira” reportedly captured in the national budget for constituency projects. Expressing doubts about the authenticity and level of completion…

Our Reporter, Abuja  Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned what he described as the growing culture of forgery and deceit within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Reacting to the recent resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery, Atiku said the development had once again exposed the “deep moral crisis at the heart of the Tinubu government.” In a statement personally signed by him and titled “Forgery as State Policy: Tinubu, His Cabinet, and the DSS Must Be…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Members of the Abia Labour Party (LP) Caucus in the House of Representatives have admonished the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, to use his exalted office to promote the collective interest of Ndigbo rather than instigate the Federal Government against the Abia State Government for selfish political gains. The lawmakers, in a statement on Wednesday, accused Kalu of “talking down on Governor Alex Otti” and attempting to create a false impression that the Abia State Government was at odds with the Federal Government. They warned the Deputy Speaker against actions capable of igniting political tension in…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Barely two months after declaring that Nigeria had met its 2025 revenue target, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking approval to secure $2.35 billion in external loans. According to the President, the new borrowings are intended to part-finance the 2025 budget deficit, refinance Nigeria’s maturing Eurobonds, and raise an additional $500 million through a Sovereign Sukuk to fund critical infrastructure projects. Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. The President explained that the move forms part of the…

By Vitus Ozoke Ụmahi’s performance was a vivid portrait of the Nigerian political class in all its megalomaniacal glory – egotistical blowhards in fine agbadas who cannot bear the insolence of mere mortals asking where their tax naira went..” If you ever needed a masterclass in how to turn a national television interview into a full-blown meltdown of ministerial arrogance, look no further than David Ụmahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Works. The man didn’t just attend Rufai Oseni’s interview on Arise TV – he detonated on live TV. Here was a journalist asking the most basic accountability question: “Sir, how much?”…

Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka As the 2025 Anambra State governorship election approaches, the Association of Non-Indigenes in Anambra State has declared overwhelming support for the re-election of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo. The group, comprising over 20,000 members from across Nigeria’s 35 states and beyond, made the declaration during an endorsement rally organised in collaboration with the Anambra Patriots for Soludo — one of the leading support groups for the governor’s re-election bid. Leaders of the association praised Governor Soludo’s people-oriented policies, particularly in health, education, and infrastructure, which they said have benefited both indigenes and non-indigenes alike. The Traditional Ruler of…