Category: Opinion

  • Fubara vows purposeful governance amid Rivers crisis

    Fubara vows purposeful governance amid Rivers crisis

    Gov.Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers has stated that the purpose of governance is to protect lives, and property, and provide essential amenities for the people.

    Fubara remarked on the inauguration of the renovated Fire Service headquarters, located near Isaac Borough Park at Mile 1, Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    He said that this knowledge had spurred his administration into to concentrating on providing people-oriented projects including the rehabilitated Fire station.

    He stated that the station would assist in strengthening the emergency response, explaining that previously, the state lost a lot of lives and property in fire incidents due to a lack of equipment.

    According to him, “We lost the Mile One Market because we couldn’t respond adequately.

    ‘’We lost, even what we call, the Fruit Garden Market because we could not respond.

    ‘’Are we talking about houses, lives that have been lost in this state because of inadequate fire service?”

    Fubara said that the state used to depend on multinationals like Agip and Shell for quick response needs but with the station, well-equipped with everything needed in the fire station, it is now efficient.

    He narrated that some days ago, a tanker fell along the Woji-Elelenwo Road but immediately, the state fire service responded and arrested the situation.

    According to him, what we are doing today is to showcase to the world that there is governance in this state.

    ‘’Not governance for the sake of governance, but governance that is purpose-driven, governance that is interested in projects that will change the lives of our people.

    ‘’We are not interested whether those people who are commissioned to undermine us are unhappy, that is not our business; our business is about Rivers State and Rivers people,” he stated.

    Fubara explained that the fire station was not built for glamour’s sake, but that every facility required to be in a well-built fire fighting facility was all in the station.

    He observed that the firemen were elated to get back to work after a long time of unproductiveness due to lack of equipment.

    ‘’But today, they are happy because they have a big responsibility now ahead of them to ensure that lives and property of the good people of Rivers State are adequately protected,” he said.

    Fubara, however, commended the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Samuel Anya, for driving the process to conclusion, and the contractor for delivering the project on schedule.

    He assured that his administration will continue to ensure the protection of lives and property while defending the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    In his remarks, the Special Duties Commissioner explained that since the fire service station was built in the 1960s, this was the first time the facility was being remodeled and upgraded.

    He emphasized that certain features were introduced and added to make the station comparable to fire service stations nationally.

    Anya explained that the features included a gym, sick bay, and offices. fire trucks and other state-of-the-art equipment that would be used to combat fire.

    Also speaking, Mr Clifford Paul, Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, commended Fubara for turning ‘’the once dilapidated fire service station and its equipment into a modern masterpiece.’’

    According to him, this represents a significant milestone in the collective commitment to tackling fire incidents.

    ‘’It will certainly enhance the capacity of personnel and reinforce their preparedness to respond to emergencies in the event of fire outbreaks,’’ Paul said.

  • Omatseye narrates how Buhari plotted against Tinubu after securing 2nd term

    Omatseye narrates how Buhari plotted against Tinubu after securing 2nd term

    Veteran journalist and columnist Sam Omatseye has narrated how President Bola Tinubu’s relationship with his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, went sour before the former ascended power.

    Omatseye said Buhari and his cabals plotted against Tinubu because they did not want him to become president.

    Speaking on Edmund Obilo’s podcast State Affairs, the columnist said the ex-president didn’t want Tinubu to succeed him because he was afraid of the former Governor of Lagos State.

    “Buhari didn’t want him because he was afraid of him. The people around him didn’t want him. Remember that after Buhari became president, within a year, there was an estrangement between Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari, and the story even went so far as to state that they wanted to remove his pass to the State House. That probably happened or didn’t happen. I’m not sure of that, but that was the level of the estrangement,” he said.

    According to Omatseye, when Buhari realized his second-term ambition may not be realized without Tinubu on his side, he became his friend again to secure his re-election.

    “He knew that if Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not come to his side, his desire for a second term would be difficult because the structure and the genius of Bola Tinubu might immobilize his capacity to get a second term. So he befriended him again for the second term. It was after the second term was guaranteed in an election that he decided to plot against him,” he narrated.

    Omatseye explained that the removal of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was part of the plots against Tinubu.

    According to him, the removal of Oshiomhole, who was perceived to be Tinubu’s ally, was a ploy to take over the party structure and reduce Tinubu’s influence and power in the party.

    “One of the first things they did was to take over the party structure, that is, the party’s top brands, from him because he found that Adam Oshiomhole was his man. And if Adam Oshiomhole is the head of the party, it will be difficult.

    “It was not him alone. Some governors didn’t want that to happen; they didn’t want Asiwaju to still ride high in the party. Of course, the cabal around him and the men around Buhari didn’t want him. So they removed Oshiomhole,” he said.

  • ‘Women can’t be sexually harassed when they become senators’ —  Ita-Giwa

    ‘Women can’t be sexually harassed when they become senators’ —  Ita-Giwa

    Former Presidential Adviser, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has faulted Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment claim, saying once women become senators, they can’t be sexually harassed.

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently claimed on a live television programme that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, frustrated her moves to raise motions about Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State because she refused to sleep with him.

    However, while reacting to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual allegation against the Senate President on Arise TV on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Senator Ita-Giwa said women can’t claim to be sexually harassed when they are elected into the Senate.

    The former lawmaker for Cross-River South Senatorial District believes it is a sign of weakness for female senators to complain about sexual harassment.

    She said, “By the time you contest elections and get to Senate, you have passed that stage of your life of being sexually harassed. You go there to serve, and you are all equal in that place. And again, it shows weakness; you don’t allow it. It (sexual harassment) can not happen in the Senate.

    “I am not saying the lady is lying, but when you get to the Senate, you’re there as a person. You’re not there as a woman.

    “At that stage in politics, if you come out and say someone is sexually harassing you, it is a weakness.”

    When asked if female lawmakers should keep quiet when their colleague sexually harasses them, Ita-Giwa insisted that it is a sign of weakness for female senators to accuse their colleagues of making passes at them.

    “On this matter, I am not with Senator Akpoti. It is the worst sign of weakness on a woman’s part to come out and accuse a man of making passes at you at that level,” she said.

    She maintained that female senators should see themselves as equal lawmakers to their male counterparts because winning senatorial elections is not easy.

  • Why 2014 Confab Report was not implemented in my administration – Jonathan

    Why 2014 Confab Report was not implemented in my administration – Jonathan

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed why his administration did not implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, citing political tensions and internal crises within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2015 elections.

    Speaking during a condolence visit to the family of the late Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, in Lagos, Jonathan acknowledged Adebanjo’s key role in the conference’s success. He noted that despite initial suspicions about his intentions, the initiative moved forward with the support of respected national figures.

    “Without people like him and other leaders, the conference wouldn’t have taken place,” Jonathan said. He added that while some participants sought his guidance, he preferred to let the experienced delegates make independent decisions.

    Despite the significance of the conference’s recommendations, Jonathan explained that the political climate at the time was unsuitable for implementation. “It was not the time we could present such a document. We believe that one day, a government will review it and adopt it because the outcomes remain relevant,” he said.

    He also mourned the loss of Adebanjo and Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) leader Edwin Clark, describing them as champions of justice and national development. “He was a man of wisdom, courage, and commitment to truth and justice—values essential for national growth,” Jonathan stated.

  • How Nigeria maltreated Igbo for decades — Okwesilieze Nwodo

    How Nigeria maltreated Igbo for decades — Okwesilieze Nwodo

    Former Governor of Enugu State and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo is a scion of the Nwodo political dynasty. He is the second son of Igwe J.U. Nwodo, a traditional ruler who hailed from Ukehe, in Enugu State. J.U. was appointed Minister of Commerce in the former Eastern Region under Premier Michael Okpara and was subsequently Minister of Local Government. Nwodo was elected Enugu Governor in January 1992 on the NRC platform during the botched Third Republic. In this interview, he talks about the exposure of IBB’s book on Biafra, the Igbo question, the crisis in PD,P and the way forward for Nigeria. Excerpts:

    The recent book launched by former President Ibrahim Babangida exonerated the  Igbo from the 1966 coup for which they have been suffering over their alleged complicity in it. What’s your take on that? 

    I think those who say that we have not been marginalized, this is further evidence coming from a former president of Nigeria. This shows how false information has led to monumental loss of lives and loss of what should belong to the Igbo in a fair Nigeria. The country has not been fair to us. Since the independence of Nigeria, we have not had an elected president from the South-East. And after the civil war, it was this narration that caused the coup and killed northern leaders without eastern leaders being killed, that there is an unwritten covenant that people from the South-East should not be given sensitive positions in the development process of Nigeria, and this went on for a long time.

    And up to now, it is almost impossible that even when somebody from the South-East wins an election, they would not be sworn in as president of Nigeria. So, I hope that this narration by the former president helps us understand better.

    Yesterday, I was watching how Odumegwu Ojukwu explained this coup, how he stopped the coup in Kano, and how Aguiyi Ironsi stopped the coup in Lagos.   So, in every aspect of that coup, it was the Igbo that stopped the coup. When Ojukwu said it, nobody paid attention. Thank God that a former president of Nigeria who was active during the war has said it now. And I hope this will put to rest all the falsehoods that we have heard about the Igbo that deny them their rightful place in Nigeria, like any other Nigerian.

    So, all the Igbo they killed were killed for nothing? 

    Yes, because it was all these that snowballed into the civil war. You can imagine, when they did the retaliatory coup, how many Igbo officers were killed, and how Igbo civilians resisted the program and the genocides against the civilians. All to revenge the Igbos organized this coup that killed their people.

    Millions of lives, at the last count, at least three million Igbo were killed because of false information. Look at the way Aguiyi Ironsi was killed, a whole commander-in-chief, by assassination with bitterness, for helping to stop the coup.

    That means somebody must have misinformed those who killed all those people…

    I think it was just unfortunate that if you have been jealous of a certain tribe because of what God has given to them, you are looking for an excuse to deal with that tribe, by manufacturing one. And having manufactured it, the people in the highest point of governance in Nigeria used that reason to start killing their fellow army officers who then sensitized the civilians and other ranks to start killing civilian Igbo.

    The whole thing was orchestrated all over Northern Nigeria. The person who assumed office as the head of state, General Gowon, would say that he did not know that Igbo officers were being killed.

    All the efforts made by Ojukwu to stop the pogrom went on deaf ears.

    When eventually he was expected to come to Ghana for the Ghana President to resolve the matter, and he agreed to resolve it, what happened? He came back and there was a need for all the agreements to be approved. And that’s how the Civil War came about. They were not sorry for what had happened.

    They went ahead to do more. How can you impose blockades on children, anything, entering that part of the country? And you saw the pictures of children dying of kwashiorkor all over the television, all over the world, and yet, we have people ruling the country. And they thought that was okay.

    Even the Nzeogwu who participated in the coup, when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was finally reinstated and became the vice chairman of the Federal Executive Council, and minister for finance, at the end of the war, he was the one who said that 20 pounds should be given to every Igbo man no matter how much he had in the bank.

    He justified starvation as a legitimate instrument of war.

    So, it’s difficult to exonerate anybody who was in government in Nigeria. Is that that they were misinformed? They couldn’t have been misinformed. They know what they did to the Igbo.

    Even to date, the position of the Igbo man in this country has remained precarious. The young ones are growing up to meet these hatred and controversies.  And to compound it, the Igbo too are said not to like themselves. Why is this still so? 

    What I don’t like in my life is generalization. I can’t say that all outside people are hypocrites.

    In fact, in the North, many northerners were collecting rents from properties belonging to the Igbo, and at the end of the war, when the Igbo came back, they gave them their money.

    Some of them, at the risk of their own lives, went into hiding from being killed during the pogrom. Now, the same thing I would say, If you don’t like an Igbo man, maybe because he’s aggressive in the way he looks for business and does business, it’s not generalizing that every Igbo man is like that, and because that, all Igbo should be hated. These generalizations don’t help. This is why there is law and order.

    If somebody goes against the law, the law should catch up with him, and he’s punished. But when you say all Igbo, all Hausa, all Yoruba, all this, is not true. What I know is that, following the civil war, and the narration that the Igbo caused the coup of 1966, there was an official conspiracy to deny Igbo high positions in government.

    And I know somebody who was president of this country from the South-West, said that the Igbo were recovering too fast from fighting a war with Nigeria, that it should take us 50 years before we should be allowed to take a serious position in Nigeria. There was a policy to exclude us from the commanding heights of government.

    Today, there is no reason we should have that policy against us. If anything, Nigeria should ask for forgiveness, for starving many Igbo to death, and reintegrating them.

    Their property was destroyed, and lives were destroyed. You promised to rehabilitate them and reconstruct the road, but you never did. It is only now that a commission has been set. More than 50 years after the damage has been done that is when Nigeria has woken up, to set up a commission to try and reconstruct the damages done by the civil war.

    The Federal Government needs to reach out. The Igbo have equal rights in Nigeria, like every other person. That is the only way the agitation for Biafra will stop. That is the only way the civil war and the pogrom will stop. It is not by continuous marginalization.

    And wherever we show interest in Nigeria, we are blocked. We have reintegrated ourselves because we are traders and we need a big market. He wants to bring in 10 containers and he doesn’t even have the road to bring them to the East to sell.

    He doesn’t have the railway line to bring them to the East to sell. He can’t bring them to the border that is near. So if he brings them to Lagos, he has to hire warehouses to keep those things.

    He has to build a market in Lagos where he will sell those things to traders from West Africa. And doing so he is developing other places other than his place. That’s why we dare to bring those things to Onitsha.

    And by the time they finish paying bills at the toll gates every hundred yards. Everything becomes expensive when it gets to Onitsha.   There is a lot of reparation that the Federal Government owes to the Igbo.

    It’s not that we are even saying that unless this reparation is paid we will not be part of Nigeria, allow us to contest for the number one position and give us the freedom to be voted for. So that we know that we have the right like every other citizen to aspire to that position.

    But the South-East East has been contesting for that position. For instance, in the last election, Peter Obi was there and he was prominent too in the election.

    Whether anybody wants to believe it or not, Peter Obi won that election. I’m PDP. I’m not Labour but even though I’m PDP and he is Labour, he won that election and he was rigged out. And our courts turned justice upside down.

    Many have been blaming the INEC and Judiciary for what went wrong in that election.

    It’s not just only INEC and the Judiciary. Did you see how people were frustrated from voting in Lagos and despite the frustration Peter Obi still won in Lagos?

    Did you see how they were being frustrated from voting in Port Harcourt? Port Harcourt used to be a place where PDP used to get one million votes and above. The votes from Rivers State this time were not up to 40,000 votes.

    People were not allowed to come out freely to vote. Because they wanted to stop them from voting for Peter. That is what we are talking about that people should be allowed to express their mandate freely. It’s not that an Igbo man is on the ballot and he may win then there is every effort to stop the supporters from voting for him. That’s not one Nigeria where we should be happy to be part of.

    On reparation as you said, do you think the South-East Development Commission can right a lot of wrongs? 

    It will do a little but not quite a lot if you look at the budget that was given to them. Considering the budget that was given to the North-East or North-West, for example, it’s peanuts. But they will tell you we are five states, the others are six or seven states. But when you talk about the actual problem that needs to be solved following 50 years of neglect, you should have given more money to the South East to solve the problem there. You have built a rail line from Lagos to Niger, but there is no rail line from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

    Look at the state of the roads in the South-East,  the worst in Nigeria. Enugu -Onitsha has been under construction for more than 25 years and remains uncompleted. Enugu and Port Harcourt are the same thing, uncompleted. You can’t move from one state capital in the South-East to another state capital, with no roads. And these are federal roads. Are all these the problems that this money they brought will solve? It cannot solve all of them.

    The Southeast governors, they representing the Southeast the way they should currently? Or even before this time?

    I would say that every governor is trying to do his best in his state.

    But it would have been better if they were working together, even this South-East Development Commission would not have been as urgent as it is for Federal Government intervention. Because, we have held so many Southeast Summits, and made so many blueprints for the economic development of the Southeast; but because governors in the Southeast have never come together to implement any of these blueprints, collective development has not taken place as it should.   No state can build a rail line alone. But the five of them can do something about the seaport, and generating electricity. It was the powerhouse that gave electricity to the whole of Eastern Nigeria, which is today 12 states.

    So there are many things that they can do together if they cooperate, but everybody wants to concentrate on his state.

    Is it not caused by the division between the parties? For instance, Enugu is PDP,  Ebonyi is APC, Abia is Labour Party, Anambra is APGA, and Imo is APC. Those are the things that are dividing the governors. They cannot stay together to work as a team.

    There was once all of them were PDP and the situation was the same. Even now, nobody says you should not join the party that would help you to win the election and realize your ambition.

    But when we are talking about Igbo interests, all of us were Igbo before we became PDP, APC, APGA, whatever. So, something that benefits every Igbo man, you as governor of one state, should champion it, just like you are championing development in your state.

    Let’s look at Nnamdi Kanu’s detention; even though Mbazulike Amaechi died on the matter, Iwuanyanwu died on it, Ezeife died on it, and even Clark and Adebanjo died on it, he has remained in detention. But the South-East governors have been docile about fighting that cause.

    I can speak for the governor of Enugu State. I know that, publicly and privately, he has championed the release of Nnamdi Kanu with the Federal Government. And the only thing is that he says we cannot be causing more damage to ourselves by sitting at home every Monday because the economy of our people is a day-to-day economy. They wake up in the morning go to the market and struggle to make a living. And any day you stop them from going out there to make a living, it means the man has no income that day, and therefore there may be no food to eat that day. So, we are damaging our economy massively by sitting at home. We can find other ways of putting pressure on the Federal Government but not something that is causing us more pain and suffering.

    Having said so, just like I said if all the governors cooperate, we can move the economy of the South-East faster than it is being moved now. If all of them cooperate, pressurize the Federal Government, and put the pressure they are putting on the public, so that all those who wish to support them,   put more pressure on them, maybe by now Kanu would have been released.

    There was a time they said they would meet the president, but they didn’t meet the president.

    I will not blame it on them, because I know before Iwuayanwu died how many times we tried, as Ohanaeze to see the president on this matter. And if we tried five times, we failed five times, we would be promised that he would see us, and he never saw us. So, if the governors have been trying to see him on this matter, and they have not been given an audience, I will not say that from here, that they are not trying, I don’t know how much they tried, but at least I know about Iwuayanwu’s own. The day we went to see Nnamdi Kanu, there were a number of us who accompanied Iwuayanwu to that place but when we got there,    the DSS refused to allow us to go with him. They said it was only him they would allow to see Kanu. And he went and discussed with him, and came out. So sometimes, it’s not that people are not trying, but the government. You can’t force them to see you if they don’t want to see you.

    Many people have been agitating for an extra state for the South-East, is that what we need?

    The agitation for an extra state in the South-East is long-standing, starting from the Oputa panel, set up by Obasanjo. The most important thing that the South-East requested from that Panel was the creation of an extra state. Because, if you deny us a state, you deny us an extra governor, three senators, seven members in the House of Reps, many local governments, councilors, and money that goes to the local government and the state, and you are not even thinking about our population.   So, it is a major injustice for the people of the South-East that they have five states.

    And every government that has come since this administration, we have done everything to persuade them to create that state. However, it is not as easy in a civilian dispensation to create a state as it is under a military regime. The process is more difficult, again, the fact that every part of the zone wants that state to come from its place, they have not had the magnanimity that this is the one that all of us want and all of us are pursuing that one.

    IPOB said the South-East does not need another state, that what it needs is a referendum for Biafra.

    IPOB is making its case, which is how they see it, I am not for Biafra I am for the South-East and for Nigeria to bring reparation to the South-East and to give us an equal opportunity like every other Nigerian; justice and fairness for every Nigerian, so we would be able to take care of ourselves.

    We need Nigeria more than Nigeria needs us and like I said, we are traders, and we need a big market to sell our goods. The Republic of Biafra may not give us that wide latitude for our trade. The South-East controls the economy in the whole of West Africa not just Nigeria.

    Secondly, we have suffered in Nigeria; I am one of those who said we go nowhere until we get the benefit of our suffering in Nigeria. We were at the forefront of getting independence for Nigeria and we have shed blood for Nigeria we must reap the benefits of our suffering in   Nigeria and after that, if Nigeria wants to divide, let them divide into as many countries as they want. But we are going nowhere until we have reaped the full benefit of what we have invested in this country.

    Some of the leaders from the South-East seem to be sabotaging the Igbo cause.

    The Christ that we worship had 12 disciples and one of them betrayed him. You cannot have a population of almost 60 million people and you don’t have the Judas among them. I am not worried about those who talk down on the Igbo. If you talk down on the Igbo, you are talking down on yourself.   As far as I am concerned, they are in the minority.    Most Igbo people have self-confidence, they are proud of being Igbo. Any Igbo man who is not proud to be an Igbo man, that is his business, he can be whatever he wants to be but I am an Igbo man and I am proud to tell you, I will continue to fight for the Igbo cause. Whenever there is an opportunity, I will continue to do so.

    What is being done to resolve the PDP crisis?

    I think more people in PDP want to resolve the crisis in PDP. Those who are causing the crisis in PDP, you can count them with your fingers, they are not many but they are formidable because they are supported and encouraged by the Federal Government. APC knows that there is nothing they can do that would change the fortunes of Nigeria and have something they can use to campaign to win elections. One of their strategies is to make sure there is no strong party with a strong candidate to face them in the election.

    Today, the press and APC themselves are the ones campaigning for PDP. It is the press that is giving us the shortcomings of the government every day. And it is the APC government that is failing in everything they promised to do for Nigeria and that is campaigning for the opposition. The PDP is not the one campaigning; the campaign is against APC now. It is the ordinary Nigerians and the press that are revealing the incompetence of the APC government. So, you can imagine what it will be like when you have a strong political party that is every day reeling out the shortcomings of APC. They know what they are doing. I think that if we are practicing democracy, there should be a level playing ground. If you don’t have strong opposition, you have a strong dictatorship and that is not a preferred form of government to democracy. I believe that what APC is doing is not fair to Nigerians and is not even fair to them. Because if we have a viable opposition, they will sit up because every day we would be citing their shortcomings and Nigerians would be on our side and we would be winning more support and they have to work hard. They cannot do so, so they want to silence all opposition parties.

    The problem in APGA,    they have a hand in it, the problem in PDP,    they have a hand in it and many of us in PDP are determined that we must resolve this matter because it is not just for ourselves but for the future of our country and if we don’t give Nigerians an alternative platform that exists in every ward in Nigeria, then we would be doing a great disservice to Nigeria.

    We must do what is humanly possible to put our party together and I think that slowly or steadily, we are winning that battle and once the party is reformed at the top, the support at the grassroots is still there.

    For instance, in the South-East, PDP is the most popular party. When the PDP was formed, for example in Enugu, we won all the councillorship and chairmanship elections, we won all the seats in the House of Assembly and National Assembly, we won governor and the PDP presidential candidate won in Enugu State. The people are still there and they believe in the party. Once the crisis is resolved, our supporters are still there all over the country and now they are more hungry to come together and support PDP because of bad governance from APC

    So you are confident that in 2027 the PDP or the opposition rather, would make any impact on the way things are?

    It has no alternative, it has to, and Nigerians would blame themselves if they don’t support an opposition party to remove this government. Nigerians have to come together and fight this fight to liberate themselves from poverty, hunger, and all the dissipation that Nigerians are suffering from.

    We have this problem with Nigeria, after they messed up during the election, the judiciary would be faced with a situation whereby about five people who sit as judges determine the fate of over two million Nigerians…

    This is a task before the opposition; we have seen what the INEC, the police, the Army, and the judiciary can do. Anything that you are planning and you do not address these issues, you are just wasting your time. I believe that opposition politicians would have to work out a strategy to overcome all of these, and they would be supported by the majority of Nigerians.

    Nigerians are dying of hunger poverty and hardship, how do we get the people to have faith in Nigeria again?

    I believe necessity is the mother of invention; the white people are more innovative than us because they have very harsh weather during winter in particular. So, they sit inside the house and think of how to discover things that can make them live a comfortable life. What we are going through in Nigeria now should throw a challenge to all of us. How do we overcome this hunger, we have arable lands, it is not only when you have money that you can farm, just farm the little land around your house, it would go a long way to reduce what you would buy in the market to survive with your family. Young people should learn some trade. The person who tiled my house usually comes with a van and workers. The painter used to come with three people who worked with him, and the electrician used to come with some people. So, we need to learn a trade. Whether mechanic, making POP, learn something that every day you have something to offer you can earn some income to care for yourself. When they blocked Biafra from access to anything, we started inventing our weapons ourselves, we started refining our oil by ourselves, we started building radio stations in the bush by ourselves, we built an airport inside the forest and brought in people there to survive. It is not for us to start stealing, and doing yahoo or kidnapping people and asking for ransom. That is not the way to solve this problem. If security agencies catch, you they will kill you. We should think about positive ways of overcoming what we are facing today and that would make us stronger tomorrow. My advice is: let us look inward and find innovative ways to the difficulty we are facing. If government has failed us, we can’t fail ourselves

  • Akpabio Vs Natasha: ACF calls for thorough, transparent investigation

    Akpabio Vs Natasha: ACF calls for thorough, transparent investigation

    Kaduna – The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed deep concern over the ongoing controversy in the 10th Senate involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central.

    In a statement issued by Prof. Tukur A. Muhammad-Baba, the ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, the group acknowledged the serious nature of the allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation raised by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, which have dominated media discussions and public discourse.

    “Many individuals and groups have voiced strong opinions on this matter. Even Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband has been compelled to speak publicly. These interventions risk tarnishing the reputation of the National Assembly, a body entrusted with making laws for the country,” the statement read.

    The ACF noted that while the dispute persists, the interests of Kogi Central constituents are not being adequately represented in the Senate.

    Furthermore, the group raised concerns about a possible bias against Northern Senators, pointing out that only lawmakers from the North have faced heavy sanctions, including suspensions, in the current Senate.

    “While this may seem far-fetched, ACF hopes that this is not part of a thinly veiled anti-Arewa agenda pervading Nigerian politics. The unfolding events raise questions about whether this is a pattern or merely a series of coincidences.”

    ACF calls for an independent, open, and transparent inquiry into the allegations to ensure justice is served and to prevent undue interference.

    The Senate must return to its core duty of law-making, especially at a time when Nigerians are struggling with economic hardships.

    The Northern Caucus in the 10th Senate should rally around Akpoti-Uduaghan to ensure she gets a fair hearing and is treated with respect and dignity.

    The National Assembly leadership and members must uphold moral rectitude, discipline, decorum, and integrity in their conduct.

    The 10th Senate’s reputation is at stake, and its members must act in a manner befitting their responsibilities.

    The ACF concluded by urging all parties involved to prioritize national interest and ensure that the Senate maintains its credibility both locally and internationally.

  • European allies rally behind Zelensky after White House clash

    European allies rally behind Zelensky after White House clash

    Ukraine’s European allies, set to gather in London on Sunday, rallied behind President Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump threw him out of the White House and accused him of not being “ready” for peace with Russia.

    Stunned by Friday’s altercation in the Oval Office, which saw Zelensky depart the White House without signing an expected mineral deal, most European leaders rushed to his defence.

    “You are not alone,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, fresh off his own visit to the White House, said he had spoken to both Trump and Zelensky following the clash and vowed “unwavering support” for Kyiv.

    Representatives from more than a dozen European countries will convene in London for a summit on Sunday, which according to Downing Street will focus on shoring up support for “securing a just and enduring peace” in Ukraine.

    The gathering will also address the need for Europe to increase defence cooperation amid fears over whether the United States will continue to support NATO.

    French President Emmanuel Macron has said he is ready to “open the discussion” on a possible future European nuclear deterrent, following a request from Germany’s next leader Friedrich Merz.

    Merz has stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to “achieve independence” from the United States on defence matters.

    Trump has spoken dismissively of the transatlantic alliance and stunned many in Europe when he reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a deal on Ukraine, which Moscow invaded three years ago.

    – Shouting match –

    Trump’s sudden shift on Ukraine, sidelining Kyiv and Europe while pursuing reproachment with Putin, has rattled the NATO allies.

    Those concerns were only exacerbated Friday by the scene that played out in the White House where the years-long US policy of massive support for Ukraine collapsed in a shouting match.

    During the clash, in front of US and international media, Trump and Vice President JD Vance shouted at Zelensky, accusing him of not being “thankful” and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.

    “You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty”.

    Zelensky departed shortly after, with Trump posting on social media that “he can come back when he is ready for peace”.

    US media reported that Zelensky had been told to leave by senior Trump officials.

    The US president later told journalists that Zelensky was “overplaying his hand” and should agree to end fighting “immediately”.

    Zelensky refused to apologize, telling Fox News, “I’m not sure that we did something bad”. He did, however, say he wished the exchange had not taken place in front of reporters.

    Russia, however, was delighted.

    Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev called Zelensky an “insolent pig” who had received “a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”

    Trump’s Republican Party echoed the Russians in blaming Zelensky.

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Zelensky to “apologize for wasting our time for a meeting that was going to end the way it did”.

    Top US Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer meanwhile said Trump and Vance were “doing Putin’s dirty work”.

    – Compromise with ‘killer’? –

    The meltdown came after Trump said Ukraine would have to make “compromises” in a truce with Russia, which has occupied swaths of the country.

    Zelensky said there should be “no compromises with a killer on our territory”.

    After he pointed out that previous Western-backed peace efforts had failed to deter Russian aggression, Vance interrupted and called him “disrespectful”.

    The session then boiled over into Trump and Vance loudly berating the Ukrainian leader. He sat in evident discomfort as his hosts talked over him.

    Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his abrupt U-turn in US policy, casting himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky and refusing to condemn the Russian invasion.

    He said in the Oval Office that he had “spoken on numerous occasions” to Putin — more than has been publicly reported.

    Trump called Zelensky a “dictator” last week and has said he trusts Putin to “keep his word” over a ceasefire.

    Trump told Zelensky that as a mediator he could not criticise one of the main sides.

    When asked by Fox News if the relationship with Trump could be salvaged, Zelensky said “Of course”.

    But he also said he wished Trump was “really more on our side”.

    Meanwhile, Russia’s assault on Ukraine continued.
    Russian infantry were storming the Ukrainian border from the Russian region of Kursk, near areas that were seized last summer by Ukrainian forces, Kyiv said Friday.

  • Ramadan: NOA DG urges Muslims to pray for national unity

    Ramadan: NOA DG urges Muslims to pray for national unity

    The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called on Nigerian Muslims to pray for peace, unity, and national development in the month of Ramadan.

    Onilu made the call in a statement issued on Saturday by the agency’s Deputy Director of Media and Communication, Paul Odenyi.

    He encouraged Muslims to use the month of Ramadan for spiritual reflection, increased devotion, and acts of charity that align with Islam’s teachings and tenets.

    While making the charge as part of his 2025 Ramadan message to the nation, Issa-Onilu said, “For the development of the country, all citizens must pray for peace and unity irrespective of one’s religious and political affiliation.

    “All Muslims should renew their commitment to Allah and embrace Ramadan’s spiritual opportunities.

    “This no doubt is a sacred period of reflection for self-renewal and the way to move humanity forward. As an Agency, we will continue to work for the greatness of our country.”

    The DG called on all citizens to use the month of Ramadan to continue to pray for the present administration and the development of our country.

  • Alleged Sexual Harassment: Lawyers demand Akpabio’s probe

    Alleged Sexual Harassment: Lawyers demand Akpabio’s probe

    ABUJA– Legal practitioners, on Friday, demanded an urgent probe of the allegation of sexual harassment that was raised against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio by the female lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    In separate interviews with Vanguard, the lawyers, described as weighty and grave, the female lawmaker’s claim that she was being victimized for refusing sexual advances from the Senate President.

    Warning that the matter should not be swept under the carpet, the legal practitioners however maintained that the law placed the burden of proof on the Kogi state lawmaker.

    According to Chief Chukwuma Nwachukwu, who is an Abuja-based human rights lawyer: “It will be in the interest of legislative sanctity for this issue not to be swept under the carpet as is usual in our political theater.

    “Matters of sexual harassment against women are taken very seriously in all civilized climes, especially since women are a vulnerable species and deserve to be afforded all available legal and institutional protections.

    “In the instant case, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has made a very grave allegation against the head of the legislative arm of Government in Nigeria, Senator God’s will Akpabio but she has an onerous burden to prove it as we hold it trite in law that he who alleges must prove.

    “So, the Female Senator must discharge this burden which the law has placed on her and I assure you that these are interesting times for the Senate of the Federal Republic nay the National Assembly.

    “If eventually found true, the Auguean stable must be cleansed. Institutional safeguards must be emplaced to ensure that matters as this do not have any space in our legislative system.”

    Another lawyer, Mr. Albert Effiong, said: “The allegation by Senator Natasha is a very serious one. It is important for the Federal Government to immediately constitute an independent investigative panel to look into the matter. In doing so, the Senator, who has alleged, must be allowed to produce her evidence as required by law. He or she who alleges must prove.

    “Since Senator Akpabio is the head of the Senate, it will not be appropriate for the Senate to conduct the probe. However, if the Senate must carry out the investigation, then, Senator Akpabio must temporarily step down to make room for an objective probe. It is elementary law that one cannot be a judge in his case.

    “It is unfortunate and very embarrassing that both the accused and the accuser are very senior legal practitioners,” Effiong added.

    On his part, Mr. Obeta Williams said: “If indeed the allegation of sexual harassment against the Senate President is true, I believe that Senator Natasha, being a legal practitioner, knows what to do.

    “To me, going to the media to raise such a weighty allegation was wrong. I believe that there are internal mechanisms she could have explored. She could have forwarded a petition to the appropriate authorities.

    “This issue has not only rubbed ash on our apex lawmaking body, it has brought a national shame as Nigeria is currently trending for a negative reason.”

    TodayPriceNG:News

  • Court remands Austin Okai over cyberstalking, criminal defamation against Kogi Governor

    Court remands Austin Okai over cyberstalking, criminal defamation against Kogi Governor

    A Magistrate Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday, ruled in favor of the prosecution’s request to remand Mr. Austin Okai over allegations of cyberstalking and criminal defamation against Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

    The Department of State Services (DSS) sought the court’s approval to remand Okai while they conclude investigations into the allegations. The request was made to ensure compliance with Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System, which mandates that an accused person cannot be detained beyond 48 hours without court approval.

    Delivering the ruling, Magistrate Mobah Abdullahi of Chief Magistrate Court 1, Lugard Court, Lokoja, granted the prosecution’s application, ordering Okai’s remand at the Federal Correctional Center, Kabba. The case was adjourned to March 13, 2025.

    Background of the Case

    Okai, a former PDP candidate for Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency in the 2023 general election, is facing trial over a social media post in which he alleged that Governor Ododo misappropriated billions of naira meant for Local Government Councils and state agencies.

    The court’s ruling ensures that Okai remains in custody while investigations continue.