Blast Naija Media

  OPINION BY - Maxwell Menkiti Ngene, Ph.D The southeast geo-political zone of Nigeria (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States) has become notorious for a peculiar brand of corruption, where security checkpoints have been transformed into cash points. Policemen and in some cases, soldiers manning these checkpoints have turned extortion into a lucrative business, preying on unsuspecting commuters, car, and tricycle drivers. The modus operandi is straightforward: security personnel flag down vehicles, subjecting occupants to unnecessary searches and harassment. The primary objective is not to ensure security of lives and property but to extort money from drivers and passengers. The situation is particularly dire for young men driving exotic cars, who are often profiled, vilified, and targeted for extortion. In a bizarre twist, some security officials now carry Point of Sale (POS) machines, which they use to withdraw various amounts of money from victims' accounts. This is often...

Aba Power still has far the lowest tariff of all 12 electricity distribution companies in the country despite the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 's January 1, 2025, approval for a 50 percent upward review with immediate effect. This fact was made known this morning in a statement by the Southeastern Zone of the Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria (ECAN) after its New Year meeting and party at Trigpoint International Hotel, Awka, Anambra State. NERC approved Aba Power's adjustment of its Band A tariff of N117 per kilowatt hour (kWh) by 50 percent for Band A customers who receive at least 22 hours of supplies daily on December 30, 2024, eight months after approving a minimum of N209. 80 Kwh for Band A customers on all the country's other electricity distribution companies (DisCos) except the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), which charges N230 per kWh. “This means that Aba Power still charges far the lowest in Nigeria”, says th...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has argued for an increase in the Commission’s 2025 budgetary allocation to facilitate its operations. He made the appeal during a budget defense session with the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly complex on Friday, January 10, 2025. Highlighting the financial constraints the Commission encountered in the 2024 fiscal year, Prof. Yakubu explained that INEC was allocated N40 billion, which he described as insufficient to cover anything beyond personnel costs and social contributions. He detailed how the allocation left critical activities unfunded, such as the resumption of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and voter redistribution to polling units. “While we received all the funds allocated for 2024, the N40 billion was only enough to pay consolidated salaries, allowances, and statutory social contributions. Unfortunately, many operational activities had to be shelved,” he ...

 By- Hon Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs   Nigeria’s foreign policy to promote peace and prosperity is a constitutional obligation as much as it is a considered and sensible manifesto pledge, writes Hon Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs.   I was born in a civil war and was not able to vote for my leader until I was in my 30s. Nigeria is now a country guided by the rule of law and a constitution that clearly defines our system of government. This includes our foreign policy objectives, and rightly so, because in an interconnected world, we define our sovereignty in the context of certain, key principles: our right to self-determination; our right to defend our autonomy and secure our borders; and responsibility to respect our obligations under international law.   As foreign minister, I think these provisions are not just reasonable but vital - both for our own democracy, domestic peace and prosperity but also for a more just and stable international...

Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, alongside billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Prince Arthur Eze has decorated the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, who was recently promoted from the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to Superintendent of Police (SP).   During the decoration ceremony in Enugu, CP Kanayo congratulated the newly promoted officer and urged him to view the promotion as a call to greater responsibility. He advised SP Ndukwe to exercise utmost wisdom and diligence in the discharge of his duties. Prince Arthur Eze similarly congratulated SP Ndukwe, encouraging him to remain focused and even more dedicated to his responsibilities. In his response, SP Daniel Ndukwe expressed gratitude to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun for recommending him for the promotion and to the Police Service Commission for approving it. He also thanked CP Uzuegbu and Prince Arthur Eze for taking the ti...

President Bola Tinubu has heaped encomiums on the governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, over his development strides, declaring that the governor had done a fantastic job so far. Tinubu said the election was over and called for collaborations across party lines and tiers of government to build the nation. The President gave the commendation during a one-day state visit to the South East state where he also commissioned some of the numerous development projects executed by Governor Mbah in the past 19 months. “He is doing a fantastic job. I am glad that Enugu got a very good tomorrow, today. I salute Peter Mbah for his commitment to development. You have built up a good team and I have reviewed a number of things with you in Abuja. You have encouraged me on the technological advancement of the state. The commitment you have from private sector. I know your background. “The election is over and we have to move the nation forward. You have demonstrated that irrevocable commitment towar...

President Bola Tinubu will undertake a state visit to Enugu State on Saturday during which he will commission some of the numerous projects executed by the Governor Peter Mbah Administration.   This was made known in a statement issued on Friday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia. Onyia said, “The Enugu State Government is happy to announce the first state visit to the state by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Saturday, January 4, 2025.   “The president will during the visit commission some of the numerous projects executed by our administration, such as the 30 completed and equipped Enugu Smart Green Schools out of 260 under construction across the 260 wards in the state, 60 completed and equipped Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres out of the 260 under construction across the 260 wards in the state, the completed multi-auditorium and multi-functiona...