Author: Editor

Ben Ezechime, Enugu There are three Senators representing Enugu State in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The senators include Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu East), Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West), and Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North). While Sen. Ekweremadu had been in the senate since 2003 (20 years), Senators Nnamani and Utazi were elected into the senate in 2015, thereby about to complete their two tenures each. Nnamani Sen. Nnamani so far, has sponsored just one bill, which is the Social Assistance Bill of 2019. However, the senator says he has renovated schools, built boreholes, committed over N50 million in…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Police operatives in Anambra State have foiled an attack by armed men on officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on an assignment at Ukpor High School, Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State. The electoral officials included INEC staff, some corps members, university undergraduates and some MDA officials on the training program of ad hoc staff for the forthcoming 2023 general election. Report obtained by Ikengaonline said the training was disrupted by the armed men but that no life was lost. Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga, said it took the…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has struck out the suit filled by Chika Idoko of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), seeking the disqualification of all candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State. Idoko, who is the Senatorial candidate of the ADC for Enugu North district had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, and all its candidates in Enugu State to the court over perceived irregularities during the conduct of the party’s primary. Idoko is claiming that the conduct of PDP primary election was in contravention of Section 77 of the…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Like Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, his Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of fighting hard to destroy the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, that brought him to power. The duo until now were among the President’s henchmen  but they have been critical of the President over the Naira re-design policy of the Central Bank. Ganduje took Buhari to the cleaners when he received in audience the  forum of former parliamentarians from North-West zone in Kano during the week. He regretted that after APC supported Buhari to become President after his various unsuccessful attempts,…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Professor  Ben Nwabueze Centre for Constitutional Studies and the Rule of Law,  has sharply disagreed with those trying to criminalise criticism of judges and court judgments, maintaining that there is nothing actually wrong with expressing ones view about the judgment of a court. A statement by the Coordinator of the Centre, Chijioke Okoli, SAN, said that it is against the spirit of democracy and freedom of expression to bar members of the public who are affected by judicial pronouncements from airing their views on the decisions of judges. The Centre noted that it had become obvious that…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, has publicly declared support for the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi. Ortom who is a member of the Gov. Nyesom Wike-led G-5 Governors of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made the declaration in Benue State during Obi’s presidential rally in the food basket state on Thursday. The Benue Governor who arrived the venue of the event amid thunderous ovation by jubilant and enthusiastic crowd,  said the time had come for Nigerians to jettison political affiliation and loyalty and support credible and competent candidates. Ortom said…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has finally fallen out with President Muhammadu Buhari, who he had strongly supported all along. He publicly countered Buhari’s Thursday morning nationwide broadcast wherein the President re-affirmed his support and approval of the Naira re-design policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Buhari had directed that only N200 old currency note be allowed to remain a legal tender along with the new notes until April 10 and foreclosed the legality of old N500 and N1000 notes. Pained by the President’s position, El-Rufai, who was among the Governors that dragged the Federal Government to…

Nonschukwu Uwa, Owerri The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Thursday said that the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, and another controversial leader of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, would be present at the peace summit of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders council, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri. The elder statesman said the Ohanaeze would appeal to the Federal Government to release Kanu to them for the peace summit, while an invitation would be extended to Simon Ekpa, said to be residing in Finland to come back home to join in…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia There was a crowd of people at the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Umuahia branch, as residents make spirited efforts to deposit the old currency notes in their custody. Canopies were set outside the inner gate of the compound where customers with old currency notes clustered to register for the process. When Ikengaonline visited the CBN premises, people who came to deposit their old naira notes were seen in clusters waiting to be attended to by the few CBN officials around. Most of the people looked frustrated and dejected over the rigour involved in the process…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia A group known as Abia Reformation Movement, has urged voters in the state to reject any political party that violated zoning arrangement as enshrined in the Abia Charter of Equity in its choice of governorship candidate in the March governorship election. Abia Reformation Movement, according to its Founder, Comrade Ibeabuchi Kalu, “is a group of patriotic Abia youths who can no longer stay by the sides and watch selfish leaders under various proclivities to continue to destroy our ancient landmarks and heritage in the name of politics of divide and rule and in the process tend to…