Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The much expected alliance between the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP for the 2023 presidential poll, is dead and buried, Ikengaonline can authoritatively report. This was confirmed by the Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe. According to Okupe, who is the ‘placeholder’ as Obi’s running mate, the merger talks died about a month ago following the inability of the NNPP negotiators to respond convincingly to a genuine question raised by the LP camp. Okupe who featured on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, Tuesday night, disclosed that…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, Mohammad Barkindo, is dead. His sudden death occurred around 11:00pm,  hours after his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari who had honoured him at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, announced Barkindo’s death in a tweet he posted to his verified Twitter handle, @MKKyari, in the early hours of Wednesday. Kyari tweeted:“We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11pm yesterday 5th July 2022. Certainly a great loss to his immediate family,…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, Monday removed his Obingwa Council Chairman, Hon. Michael Ibe Nwoke from office, and swore in his deputy, Mrs Uloma Nwogu, as his replacement. His removal is coming barely 10 days the former Council boss dumped the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on whose platform he was elected. Mrs Nwogu was sworn in by Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu at the Executive Council chamber of Government House Umuahia. Obingwa LGA is Gov. Ikpeazu’s home LGA, and political watchers see the Council boss’ defection to YPP as a spite on the Governor which he is unlikely to stomach.…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Amid growing insecurity in the country, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has raised alarm that forests in southern Nigeria have been surrounded by infiltrators. He, therefore, warned communities in southern Nigeria particularly the South-East, to as a matter of urgency, mobilise their youths to comb every forest in their locality. Prince Emmanuel who raised the alarm while speaking with our Correspondent, said it had become imperative for communities to comb their environments following credible intelligence that forests in the zone have been infiltrated and taken…

Constance Meju Rising cases of vandalization of national infrastructure and insecurity is creating serious concerns for stakeholders as it constitutes a threat to national security. Efforts are now being made to address this through broad-based dialogues where collective perspectives and suggestions for solutions would be collated for policies that can be identified by all with a spirit of responsibility towards protecting national infrastructures and assets. This was the main thrust of a recent press briefing on the South South Zonal Stakeholders Summit on Domesticating Stakeholders Statutory Responsibilities in Protecting Nigeria’s Critical Infrastructures and Assets billed for Presidential Hotel Port Harcourt,…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Abia State, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere,  has dismissed as impostors, former National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie; and Edozie Njoku, who parades himself as the party’s  presidential candidate. Ehiemere said that Okorie had long ceased to be a member of the party following his defection to other parties. This is as Ehiemere has urged the people of South-East to support APGA “and make it a regional party for power negotiations so that the zone will not continue to be political orphans going cap in hand begging for recognition.”…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, has tasked churches in the country to consciously sensitise their members on the need for active participation in the political process. Ohuabunwa who gave the charge while speaking at the third session of the 6th synod of the Anglican Church, Diocese of Arochukwu/Ohafia, held at St. Bartholomew Anglican Church, Ozu Abam, stressed the need for political awareness among Christians ahead of the 2023 polls. The former Leader ECOWAS Parliament, who said that time had come for the church to start speaking out concerning the happenings in the country, noted that things could become worse…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Adventist Technical Secondary School, Ohafia, emerged the winner of the second edition of the Abia State Schools Quiz competition with 52 points. The competition was sponsored by Chief Raymond Nkemdirim Foundation, in collaboration with the Abia State Ministry of Education, Secondary Education Management Board, State Scholarship Board, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and Flo FM Radio, amongst others. Masters Vessels Classical Academy, Umuahia clinched the second position, while Victory College International, Aba, came third. Speaking at the grand finale at the International Conference Centre Umuahia, the Coordinator of the competition, Pastor Uche Ama-Ohakah said that…

Michael Onwuka, EnuguThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says no fewer than 748 ballot boxes and 240 voting cubicles were destroyed at its office in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.The INEC National Electoral Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.Recall that the INEC office in the area was reportedly set ablaze by unknown arsonists at 11:48pm on July 3, 2022.The arsonists reportedly overpowered the security guards and made their way into the premises before setting the building ablaze.However, Okoye said that though no life was lost in the…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately recall the former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and Ambassador to Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), for investigation over alleged connection with the N1.8bn recovered in a property in Abuja by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC. PDP which accused the ruling APC of habouring and shielding treasury looters argued that Buratai should clear his name over the alleged recovered funds. According to PDP the recovered funds could be part of the missing $1 billion released from…