Author: Editor

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has decried the perceived high level of corruption in Nigeria’s judicial system, describing it as a grave social malaise. Osigwe spoke on Friday in Enugu at the 17th Memorial Lecture of Ralph Opara, organised by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS). Delivering a lecture titled “Corruption in Nigeria: A Menace to Democracy and Social Justice,” the NBA president said judicial corruption had become a significant societal problem, adversely affecting the judiciary, governance, and economic development. He noted that the topic was particularly apt, as many…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Enugu State Branch, has conducted a medical outreach in Owo Community, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, benefiting about 1,500 residents. Speaking to journalists during the exercise held at Cecilia Memorial Hospital, Owo, the Vice President of NAS, Enugu Branch, Dr Ogbodo Okechukwu, said the outreach was targeted at providing free medical services to 1,500 persons. Okechukwu, a consultant public health physician, explained that Owo Community was selected because of its peculiar needs, noting that the area has a high population of vulnerable people. He said the medical outreach,…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over Abia State in the 2027 general elections, alongside securing a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Uzodimma made the declaration on Friday in Umuahia during the inauguration of the Abia State chapter of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a pro-Tinubu political movement. He spoke through the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. The Imo governor, who also serves as the National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, said President Tinubu…

By Uche Ugboajah Even then, Senator Akpabio has not, in any shape or form since he emerged as Senate President, displayed any capacity for independent thinking or the pursuit of any public good. He is either “sending prayers” to his colleague senators or “eating while the people protest over hardship.” A few days ago, the Senate passed what it called the 2026 Electoral Bill. The House of Representatives had earlier passed its version of the same bill, and all that will happen next is the harmonisation of the two bills for onward transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Chidinma Otti, has empowered five survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with cash support and urged the Federal Government to strengthen enforcement mechanisms to permanently eliminate the practice nationwide. Mrs Otti made the call in Umuahia during an event marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, held at the International Conference Centre. She described FGM as a grave violation of the fundamental rights of women and girls, stressing that the practice has no medical or cultural justification and exposes victims to severe pain, infections,…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka No fewer than 80 students from Anambra State have received full sponsorship for the 2026 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) registrations, courtesy of the Joseph Onuorah Foundation (JOF). The Foundation sponsored the 2026 JAMB registration for 55 indigent and underprivileged students drawn from various communities in Orumba North and Orumba South Local Government Areas of the state. It also extended the gesture to 25 deserving candidates sitting for the 2026 WAEC examinations in the same communities, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 80 students. In a statement signed by…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has commended Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, for the significant economic progress recorded in the state under his administration. The President and Chairman of the Council of CIBN, Prof. Pius Olarenwaju, gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to Governor Otti at the Government House, Umuahia. Prof. Olarenwaju said Abia had posted impressive economic indicators, including a 10 per cent increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), an eight per cent reduction in poverty, increased investment inflows and the creation of over 10,000 jobs. “You have, within a…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Minister of Education and Co-Convener of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, has lambasted the Nigerian Senate over its handling of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, warning that the lawmakers are “playing with fire” and risking the stability of Nigeria’s democracy. Ezekwesili made the remarks on Friday during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise Television, where she expressed deep disappointment over the Senate’s reported rejection of a provision seeking to make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory. Recall that the Senate, while passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, rejected the clause on…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Nigerian military to move decisively to restore peace and security in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State following a deadly terrorist attack on Wednesday. No fewer than 200 residents were reportedly killed by the assailants during the invasion, which plunged the affected communities into mourning and widespread panic. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed this to journalists after a closed-door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said President Tinubu gave the armed forces a clear marching order to move in, flush out the attackers, and ensure the…

By Chido Onumah Against All Odds: A Biography of Innocent Chukwuma emerges not simply as a chronicle of one man’s defiance against the vicissitudes of life, but as a profound meditation on a vanishing ethos in Nigerian public life: the ethos of unyielding, principled insistence. Through its meticulous narration, the book endeavours to safeguard the legacy of a human rights defender without elevating him to an untouchable pedestal, while candidly depicting a trajectory of resistance that acknowledges the profound personal and communal tolls exacted by such endeavours. Its success in this delicate balancing act speaks volumes about both the subject’s…