Author: Editor

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, on Monday presented the 2022 Appropriation bill of N139,398,280,640.00 to the State House of Assembly. Tagged “Budget of Divine Mandate Consolidation and Continuity (C to C),” the governor said revenue to finance the budget is expected to come from the federal allocation and other revenue heads. He noted that his administration will implement about 41.67 percent of the budget “This budget is a transition budget which means that it will be implemented by this administration and the next. The current administration would implement 41.67% while the next would implement 58.33%.” “The budget estimate…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia National Population Commission, NPC, has pleaded with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, not to disrupt the 2023 national population census in the South-East  as was the case in the 2006 census when the Movement for the Actualisation for the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, scuttled the exercise in the zone. The Commission explained that successful conduct of the population census would be in the best interest of everybody including Biafra agitators advocating for referendum. NPC Federal Commissioner in charge of Abia State, Chief Jonny Nwabuisi, who made the appeal at a press conference Monday in Umuahia,…

By Onyishi Chidiebere Charles Students in Nigerian Universities, particularly federal universities, spend more years in school than their counterparts in other universities, especially private-owned universities, studying the same course. The reason is not far-fetched. It is because of the constant strike actions of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that they experience. It is beyond pathetic that students in Nigeria’s universities are left to suffer the consequences of the rifts between ASUU and the Federal Government owing to the latter’s inability to honour its agreement with the union. The Ministers of Education and Labour & Employment, spanning different administrations, have also…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia ABN Television, has announced the postponement of its 2022 service award ceremony earlier scheduled for Abuja, following the apprehension over the recent terror alert by the United States of America of possible terror attack on the Federal Capital Territory. Management of the organisation said it was concerned about the safety of guests at the annual event, hence the postponement to a new date that would be announced in the future. Chairman, Central Planning Committee of ABN TV Service awards, Amb. Alex Nwankwo, who disclosed this at a press conference Monday in Abuja, regretted the inconveniences the shift…

By Owei Lakemfa Incredible! It is a disaster for a Minister of Disaster to rank states affected by a disaster as if it were a sports competition in which medals were being awarded.  Her conclusion is primarily based on the number of deaths. So by her logic, since the floods led to 91 deaths with 148 injured in Jigawa, compared to 58 dead and 81 injured in Bayelsa, Jigawa wins the gold medal! Bayelsa State was for weeks submerged by floods which damaged or washed away bridges and roads, homes and farms, power transformers, and hospitals, and displaced 99 percent of…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka Pro-Biafra agitation group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has said it is not against political rallies in the South-East, because IPOB is not interested in Nigerian elections. The group made the statement against the backdrop of announcement by the campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who made public that campaign activities for its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will hold on Monday in some parts of the South-East. It was gathered that the APC did not earlier consider that Monday is observed as a sit-at-home in some areas of the South-East, a situation that had made it to now reschedule…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Enugu State Government has expressed concern over lack of interest by youths in the state to enlist into the Nigerian Army to meet the state’s quota in line with the federal character policy. Mr Steve Oruruo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, said this in a statement made available to Ikengaonline in Enugu. He said that the Government was deeply concerned over the lack of interest shown by youths of the state in enlisting into the Nigerian Army. In view of this, a team from the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Abuja on Saturday, November 15, visited the state and interfaced…

Stephen Ukandu, News/Features Editor The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has explained that the reason he was in the 2023 presidential race was to put Nigeria back on track as the country has derailed due to mis-governance and leadership ineptitude. Obi who said this Sunday during the presidential debate organized by ARISE TV in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Guild of Editors, among others, also said he had the panacea to the festering insecurity in the country. This is as the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu; and the Peoples…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The decision by Ebonyi State Government to impose a N5m payment on political parties wishing to use schools and other public arenas of government to hold rallies ahead of next year’s election has attracted condemnations from opposition parties in the state. Two leading opposition parties in the state, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have described the decision as undemocratic and backward. Governor Umahi had signed an executive order last week which stipulates that parties must write to and get permission from the Education Commissioner before being allowed to use any school premises for…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has lamented the increasing rate of smuggling of Nigerian migrants by human traffickers. The Comptroller of Immigration Service Enugu State, Mr Joachim Olumba, stated this in Enugu at an enlightenment campaign on the scourge of Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). The campaign was organised by the Directorate of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in collaboration with International Center for Migration Policy and Development (ICMPD). Olumba described the situation “a worrisome phenomenon” adding that it was alarming that not only the youth, but older generation of Nigerians exhibit interest to leave the country. “This is creating a…