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Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, says he will submit his gubernatorial aspiration to the will of God. Ekweremadu disclosed this on Thursday during his 60th birthday thanksgiving service at the Church of Good Shepherd, Anglican Communion, Enugu. The senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, said that his presence in politics was to do the will of God. Ekweremadu, who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, said that he was in the race to create a new Enugu State. He said that he was committed to revamping the infrastructural deficit in the state, provide potable water and security and create employment for the youths. “Even in this endeavour, I will submit myself to the will of God,” he said. Ekweremadu said that he had a covenant with God which he had always kept. “I have a covenant with God to lift me up in order to transform the society. I have passed through tribulations, and they did not consume me. “I have never...

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has suspended its planned strike over the rise in cost of aviation fuel. President of the AON, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, who announced this on Sunday, said the decision was taken after deliberations with the Federal Government. In a statement, Sarina said the AON said acceded to the calls from the “highest echelons of government” to halt the action. He said the government had promised “to urgently intervene in the crises being faced by airlines due to the astronomic and continuously rising cost of JetA1.” “We have also reached this decision with the highest consideration for our esteemed customers who have been faced with uncertainty over the last few days and to enable them to have access to travel to their various destinations for the time being during the period of discussions with relevant authorities.” “In view of the above and in the interest of national economy and security considerations, AON hereby wishes to notify the general publ...

  T he former Senate President, a ND a Presidential Aspirant in the 2023 elections, Bukola Saraki has lamented over worsening insecurity and economic challenges in Nigeria. Saraki was speaking on Friday when he met delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State. The campaign team led by the former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada and former presidential aspirant, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, was in the state to seek the support of party stakeholders and delegates on the candidacy of Senator  Saraki ahead of the 2023 General Elections. Saraki, who is also a former governor of Kwara State, said the security situation in the country had been giving him sleepless nights, vowing to make security his top priority if elected president. “Nigeria is in very bad situation. The security situation needs to be rejuvenated. In 2015, I came to Katsina for campaign and we went to Zamfara State through Jibia but we can’t do that today because the roads are not safer. When ...

Former Nigerian Senator, Francis Arthur Nzeribe has been announced dead.  The late lawmaker who was 83 years old, is said to have died on Sunday morning. Nzeribe before his death had been  at a foreign hospital where he was been treated of an undisclosed ailment.  It will be recalled that an image emerged in 2017, showing ageing and possibly sick Nzeribe, sitting languidly, with medics around him. He was elected a Senator to represent Orlu first in 1999 but in November 2002, the then-Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim suspended Nzeribe indefinitely over an allegation of N22 million fraud.  Also, in April 2006, the Orlu People’s Consultative Assembly, sponsored by the then Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, staged what it called a “One million march” to drum support for Nzeribe’s recall from the Senate.  Due to popular demand, in December 2006, Nzeribe was defeated by Osita Izunaso during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for the 2007 Senatorial elec...

By Dr Joseph Nnamani, MBBS, MPH    The first casualty in any war is truth. It is assassinated by propaganda. Elections in Nigeria are wars. As primary elections are about to hold in Nigeria as a prelude to next year’s general elections, it is no surprise that propaganda is in full swing. This is all the more so in a place like Enugu State where the only industry which booms is politics. There is no private sector or industries or commercial places. Everything begins and ends with government, in contrast to the situation in neighbouring Anambra State which has a large number of entrepreneurs of various categories. While millions of Anambra people don’t give a hoot about government, it is government business all the way in Enugu State. In other words, it is propaganda all the way in our beloved state, the capital of not just the South Eastern states but also the former Eastern Nigerian Region which has been broken into nine states. The propaganda making the rounds here in Enugu ...

The cost of food, fuel, and fertiliser in some of the world’s poorest communities is soaring, with families spending double, triple, and nearly four times what they were paying before Russia invaded Ukraine, a new analysis by ActionAid finds.   While the average cost of wheat products like pasta has increased by more than 50% in local markets and communities in the 13 countries surveyed, families in Lebanon, which is heavily dependent on imports from Ukraine and Russia, are spending as much as 275% more than they were at the end of February.   In the Horn of Africa, where 20 million people are already facing severe hunger due to prolonged drought, communities in Somaliland are now spending more than double (163%) as much on a loaf of bread. Average prices for cooking oil have increased by over 60%, but in some areas of Somaliland, costs are up by as much as 260%.   In Nigeria, findings show that  the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 59 % in Sanrab semi-urba...

  Campaign DG Hon. Charles Asogwa The Ikeoha Campaign Organisation, which pilots the governorship aspiration of the former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has raised the alarm over the resurgence of political thuggery in Enugu State ahead of the 2023 general election. The campaign organisation equally condemned what it described as the targeting of Ekweremadu’s supporters and associates and the cases of thuggery that allegedly marred the April 30 Ward Congress in parts of the State. The Campaign organisation bared its mind at a press conference addressed by its Director-General, Hon. Charles Ogbo Asogwa, and the Director of Manifesto Propagation, Dr. Austin Okolie. It noted that “the thuggery and attacks on party members, who trooped out to exercise their democratic rights could have been averted if the state party leadership and the panel dispatched by the PDP national leadership to oversee the process ensured transparency and due compliance with the PDP Co...

Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Barr. Nyesom Wike was in Katsina State on Tuesday to make known his intention to run for the position of the President of Nigeria. Wike was well received at the Katsina airport by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP stalwarts led by the former Governor of Katsina State and the PDP State Leader, His Excellency Ibrahim Shema. Also present to receive the Presidential aspirant is the former Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, the current PDP State Party Chairman and also a strong contending governorship aspirant in the state, Hon. Yusuf Salisu Majigiri, the past ALGON Chairman of the state and a House of Representatives aspirant representing Kaita/Jibia constituency in the forthcoming 2023 General Elections, Hon Ibrahim Lawal Dankaba, amongst many others. During a brief stopover at the Katsina State Government House, Governor Wike while informing the Katsina State Governor, His Excellency, Aminu Bello Masari of his intention to run f...

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party says it  has decided to hold its special national convention, where it will pick its presidential candidate, in Abuja. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed this over the weekend to newsmen. “We have decided to hold the convention, where our candidate will emerge, in Abuja. That was where the National Working Committee chose, but the National Executive Committee will ratify it at our meeting on Wednesday,” he said. It was reported that though there were efforts by lobbyists to attract the convention to their states, this was met with stiff reject by the party's leadership. According to its timetable, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party will emerge on May 29. In its ‘Schedule of Activities and Timetable for the Year 2022/2023 Elections’ released last month and signed by the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, the party said its presidential primary would commence o...

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Monday as the first day of Shawwal 1443AH in Nigeria. The Sultan made the declaration in a statement on Saturday signed by Prof. Sambo Junaidu, the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs Sultanate Council, Sokoto. He said the Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in Conjunction with the National Moon Sighting Committee did not receive any report from various Moon Sighting committees across the country. He said therefore, Sunday is the 30th day of the month of Ramadan 1443AH. The Sultan said he has accepted the report and accordingly declared Monday as the first day of Shawwal 1443AH, Day of Eid-el-Fitr. He felicitated with Nigerian Muslims and wished them God’s guidance and blessings. He urged Muslims to continue to pray for peace progress and development of the country and wished all Nigerians happy Eid-el-Fitr.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has assured workers that the National Assembly will continue to partner with the Organised Labour to address issues relating to them. He made gave the assurance in a statement celebrating Nigerian workers on the occasion of this year’s May Day, while calling for a speedy and amicable resolution to the months-old Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. According to a statement signed by his spokesperson Ola Awoniyi, Lawan saod  “Nigerian workers deserve their appreciations and respects for their contributions to the development of our country. “I also salute them for their patriotic cooperation with the government and and other institutions in the collective efforts to address societal challenges. “There is no gainsaying the fact that Labour creates wealth for the nation, the more reason that the welfare of the Nigerian workers should always be accorded priority. “As Parliament, the National Assembly will continue to partner with the Organise...