Author: Editor
By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo On Monday, August 4, 2004, one week after he made a speech at the Democratic Party’s convention in Boston, I wrote a column for the Nigeriaworld called “Obama: An audacity of hope?” Here is how the column started. “Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Congresswoman, recently visited the White House with a congressional delegation. Making her way out, she passed President Bush, and the president literally jumped back on seeing “Obama” button pinned to her chest. Guessing what the president was thinking, she told him, “Mr. President, it is Obama with a “b”. Still, the president did not…
Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Imo State, has expressed worry that Imo State was the only state without a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in the federation. The Assistant Commandant Narcotics, NDLEA, Mr Ahehu Lamuwa, made this known to newsmen during the feast of Barracuda organised by the National Association of Seadogs, NAS, in Owerri. Lamuwa said if nothing was done, it would worsen the case of persons with drug addiction in the state. According to NDLEA, “246 million people use drugs worldwide, and 14.5 million use drugs in Nigeria. And the production of…
Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has introduced regenerative agriculture as the pathway to food sufficiency and repositioning of the state’s economy. Governor Soludo performed the function at the flag-off of the 2022 Farming Season in Anambra State at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka. According to the governor, his administration is championing the reenactment of the palm revolution which built the old eastern region. It will be a way of going back to where the Late M.I.Okpara stopped. The Governor expressed his administration’s readiness to partner communities and individuals who are interested in going into palm and…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Enugu-based Catholic priest and Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has come under severe attacks by Nigerians for describing Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a “stingy man.” The fiery priest had during his sermon taken Obi to the cleaners, boasting that he would not win the presidential race because of stinginess. Mbaka who claimed to have played a key role in Obi’s reinstatement as Anambra State Governor after his impeachment by the state lawmakers, said that if Obi failed to come and apologize to him at the Adoration ground, he would fail in…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia At last, the presidential flag bearer of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has picked Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate for the 2023 poll. Atiku announced Okowa as his choice of running mate at an unveiling event of his running mate held Thursday in Abuja. The former Vice President later took to his Twitter handle and said he was delighted to select the Delta Governor as his running mate. Atiku tweeted: “I am delighted to announce Governor @IAOkowa as my Vice Presidential candidate. I look forward to travelling…
Our Reporter, Abuja Any moment from now, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will announce the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Ikengaonline was reliably informed that it was now just a matter of minutes for Okowa to be unveiled. When contacted to confirm the reports going around about the possible choice of Okowa over the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, earlier touted as the favoured choice, our source, a party high-up, said “what is now left is the official announcement of Okowa.”
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Abia Governor, and Senator representing Abia North, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has come under fire for asking the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu (a Muslim), to pick a fellow Muslim as his running mate. Kalu was reported as saying that there was nothing wrong “if Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, runs a Muslim-Muslim ticket.” The Senate Chief Whip reportedly said that it would be politically naïve for Tinubu, a minority Muslim from the South-West to choose a minority Christian from the North as his running mate. But in a swift response, his…
By Azu Ishiekwene That the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is exactly where the party’s last presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, was when he got the ticket eight years ago, shows just how our politics has stagnated, if not regressed. After Buhari won the APC ticket in December 2014, the next major hurdle was getting a running mate. In what appeared to be a breach of the understanding he had with Tinubu to be his running mate before the election – and on the basis of which Tinubu moved heaven and earth to support him…
By Osmund Agbo It’s much easier swimming in a shark-infested water than to navigate the landmine-ridden path of Anambra politics. Nothing compares. Not that politics is ever a ping-pong game for the chicken-hearted anywhere in the world, but if you have to compete in a group where your opponents include those with a trailer load of money and others with king-size influence, not afraid to deploy every arsenal within reach, you would get a little sense of what I am talking about. Unfortunately, the political fights were never about the people. It bordered on special interests, which was why for…
Lawrence Nwimo, Awka The police in Anambra State have busted a hotel in Nkpor, Anambra State, where under-age girls were used for sex slaves, prostitution and baby factory. The police said it rescued 35 girls used for baby factory and sundry crimes in the hotel. It also said out of the 35 girls, four were said to be pregnant as of the time of the rescue. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ikenga Tochukwu, disclosed this at a press conference in Onitsha on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng. He said, ”I am delighted to…