Posts

Showing posts from June, 2025

South East, It’s Time to Go CNG!

Image
  On June 17, 2025, the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) welcomed the Managing Director of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Hon. Mark Okoye II, on a working visit to the Program Director/Chief Executive, Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi. The visit signals a major step forward for the South East — Nigeria’s industrial powerhouse and a key gas-producing region — as it prepares to adopt Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to drive economic growth. Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu] , GCFR, the South East is set to embrace cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable energy to power its industries and communities.

Senate congratulated the confirmed RSIEC members nominees

Image
  Abuja, June 18, 2025 – The Nigerian Senate has screened and confirmed Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey as the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), alongside six other nominees as commissioners, paving the way for the commission to conduct the upcoming local government elections scheduled for August 9, 2025. The confirmation followed a thorough screening process during Tuesday’s plenary session, where the Senate reviewed the qualifications and suitability of the nominees submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  The newly confirmed RSIEC members are: Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey – Chairman   Mr. Lezaasi Lenee Torbira – Member   Professor Arthur Nwafor – Member   Professor Godfrey Woke Mbudiogha – Member   Professor (Dame) Joyce Akaninwor – Member   Dr. (Mrs) Olive A. Bruce – Member   Professor Chidi Halliday – Member The appointments come at a critical time as RSIEC prepares to organize credible, f...

How Obaseki’s children celebrated the printers’ devils

Image
Yesterday, badly behaved children set the social media agog over a trivial and baseless issue of a clear case of printer’s devil, where a banner originally meant to read “workshop” was mistakenly printed as “worshop”. This minor error, which would ordinarily be overlooked by any reasonable person, was suddenly elevated to political discourse by loyalists of our modern-day Sanballats, Tobiahs, and Geshems in Edo political space.  For the record, the stakeholders’ sensitization workshop was aimed at exposing the commendable programs and projects of governor  Monday Okpebholo and this was held in May. Again, and for the records, the event was not only well-attended, but also very impactful and widely praised by academic eggheads who attended the successful workshop.  However, mischief makers and enemies of progress blurred the date on the banner they exhumed from the archives for want of nothing against the governor and circulated the outdated image by latching on the typogr...

PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS SECURITY AGENCIES TO ARREST KILLERS IN BENUE, ADVISES GOVERNOR ALIA TO SET UP PEACE COMMITTEE

Image
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest killer herders who perpetrated the heinous killing of over 100 people in Yelewata community in Benue State. President Tinubu gave the directive while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Markudi. The meeting included the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, Traditional Rulers, and former Governors of the state. The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa also attended the meeting. President Tinubu called out the Inspector General of Police to know why arrests have not been made. "How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata. Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately," President Tinubu said. He urged the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NI...

Eid-Al-Adha: Sunny Ekpetika Urges Edolites, Nigerians to Embrace Spirit of Togetherness

Image
The chief of staff to the edo APC state Chairman, Comr. Sunny Ekpetika has congratulated Muslim faithful all over the world on the occasion of this year's 2025 Eid Al-Adha celebrations. The Edo state secretary recovery committee Ekpetika, in his goodwill message, emphasizes the need for the good people of Edo State and Nigeria at large to imbibe the spirit of togetherness. Ekpetika stressed that Nigerians must recognize themselves as brothers and sisters from the same heritage, quoting the African proverb, "A family tie is like a tree, it can bend but can not break." He urged Muslim faithful to offer prayers for the unity, peace, and progress of Edo State and the nation at large during and after the celebration. Ekpetika commended religious leaders for promoting religious tolerance and mutual respect among Nigerians. The Chief of Staff encouraged Muslims to put into practice the noble teachings of Islam, fearing God in their daily activities to create a better society. He...

Senator Saliu Mustapha Joins Senate President Akpabio For historic Lagos-Calabar highway commissioning

Image
  Over the weekend, the red carpet of national transformation was rolled out as Senator Saliu Mustapha joined fellow lawmakers in a high-powered delegation led by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to mark a significant moment in Nigeria’s infrastructural journey. The occasion? The official commissioning of the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway—a landmark project unveiled by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as part of his two-year anniversary in office. This coastal superhighway isn’t just a road—it’s a bold statement of intent. A declaration that the era of talking is over, and the age of tangible development is here. Stretching across key economic zones, the highway is set to reshape transportation, logistics, trade, and tourism in Nigeria for generations to come. Senator Saliu Mustapha, Turaki of Ilorin and a respected voice in the Senate, stood tall at the ceremony, reaffirming his commitment to progressive policies that uplift every Nigerian. >...

Former EFCC chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa unveils explosive book on Nigeria’s fuel subsidy fraud

Image
Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has released a groundbreaking new book titled ‘The Shadow of Loot & Losses: Uncovering Nigeria's Petroleum Subsidy Fraud’.  This powerful exposé provides the most authoritative account yet of Nigeria’s multi-trillion-naira fuel subsidy scandal, unraveling the inner workings of one of the country’s most pervasive financial crimes. Drawing from his firsthand experience as a key investigator on the EFCC’s special team that probed the 2012 subsidy fraud, Bawa reveals the staggering scale, complexity, and audacity of the schemes used to siphon public funds under the guise of fuel subsidy payments. His insider narrative chronicles how billions of naira were recovered and several culprits brought to justice, while also shedding light on how entrenched corruption allowed the fraud to flourish for years. In the book, published by CableBooks, an imprint of Cable Media & Publishing Ltd, Bawa...

The Curse of Power: Africa's Sit-Tight Leaders and the Burden of Governance

Image
  Power is a tool for development, meant to uplift society and drive progress. However, in Africa, some leaders crave power without assuming the responsibilities that come with it. Unfortunately, this trend manifests strongly in Nigeria, where politicians have remained in power for decades without any significant impact on the people. Some leaders, particularly from Cross River State, have held office for 16 years or more yet continue to scheme and manipulate their way into retaining power despite offering nothing new or transformative.   These leaders mirror the political strongmen and dictators that have long plagued the continent. Among them is President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who has now joined the infamous club of African sit-tight leaders.   It is both disheartening and shocking that President Paul Kagame has been nominated by his political party to contest Rwanda’s forthcoming presidential elections for another seven years—after already serving as Preside...

PRESIDENT TINUBU CELEBRATES BAYO OJULARI AT 60

Image
  President Bola Tinubu congratulates Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, on his milestone 60th birthday on June 3.    The President joins family, friends and associates in celebrating an accomplished energy professional whose distinguished career has been defined by transformative and visionary leadership in our country's oil and gas industry.    Before becoming GCEO of NNPC Limited in April 2025, Ojulari served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. Between 2015 and 2021, he was the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) managing director.   President Tinubu expresses confidence that Ojulari will continue to deploy his dynamism and experience to further reposition NNPC Limited as a transparent, world-class national energy company that can ensure our nation enjoys energy security.   The President notes with satisfaction the recent in...

EDO STATE GOVERNMENT BEGINS PROFILING OF PROPERTY OWNERS IN NEW CITY DEVELOPMENT

Image
The Edo State Government has commenced a profiling exercise for property owners in the New City Development Area, formerly known as Coral City, as part of Governor Monday Okpebholo's renewed efforts to resolve lingering community land disputes. A statement issued on Sunday, May 31, and signed by the Secretary to the Edo State Committee on Land Dispute Resolution, Dr. Abdulwasiu Oyakhire called on all property owners in Lot-A and Lot-B of the project area to come forward with their ownership documents for verification.  The exercise is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, and run through Friday, June 13, 2025. According to the statement, the profiling will be conducted on-site by relevant state agencies and will take place simultaneously in both Lot-A and Lot-B.  Other sections of the New City Development are expected to undergo similar processes in subsequent phases. Affected property owners are expected to present their survey plans. In cases where surveys are unavail...