There was an attempt to truncate the inauguration of the Caretaker Committee for Edo State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) on Thursday as the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also known as the Adams Oshiomhole Labour House, in Benin City, was sealed by Police Operatives.
The main gate of the University of Benin, the actual venue of the ceremony, was also heavily guarded by Police personnel, with some suspected thugs loitering around the secretariat.
A Police armoured personnel carrier was deployed to the area.
The heavy security presence was reportedly aimed at preventing the inauguration of the Caretaker Committee of the Edo NLC.
However, the inauguration still took place at a different venue in Benin City, where Prof. Monday Igbafen was sworn in.
Some NLC leaders from neighboring States, who were scheduled to attend the inauguration, expressed disappointment at being unable to access the secretariat due to the security presence.
Speaking to newsmen, Augustine Igben from the Maritime Workers Union said he was embarrassed when he was not allowed entry into the Edo Labour House, questioning why Policemen were barricading the building when it was a labour issue that should be settled internally.
The Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, has warned that cattle rustling is becoming a security threat in Africa.
While presenting a paper at the 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, the IGP called for urgent and concerted international cooperation to address the escalating security challenges posed by cattle rustling and its dangerous convergence with terrorism financing, as well as the spread of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats across Africa.
Egbetokun raised concern over the transformation of cattle rustling in West Africa from a rural nuisance into a sophisticated criminal enterprise that fuels terrorism, armed groups, and cross-border criminal networks.
He further warned of the dangerous nexus between cattle rustling and CBRNE threats, including the spread of zoonotic diseases like anthrax and brucellosis, the exploitation of smuggling routes for trafficking radiological materials, and the use of proceeds from livestock theft to fund production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), thereby worsening insecurity across conflict zones.
The IGP outlined six strategic pillars for response, including intelligence fusion, livestock market reforms, anti-money laundering frameworks, stronger border cooperation, community partnerships, and CBRNE preparedness.
He also called for a continent-wide and global alliance to secure Africa’s livestock trade, protect rural populations, and block extremist exploitation of regional vulnerabilities.
On the sidelines of the conference, the IGP met with INTERPOL President, Major General Dr. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, and Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza, where discussions centered on strengthening border security, expanding access to global policing databases, enhancing real-time information exchange, and improving institutional capacity against terrorism financing.
He also met with a Brazilian delegation led by De Souza Rinaldo and Dos Reis Guedes Ferreira Alvares Andrea, with both parties committing to deepen Nigeria–Brazil police cooperation through intelligence sharing, combating organized crime, and building capacity for CBRNE threat mitigation.
The Inspector-General of Police reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to leading from the front, sharing best practices, and working collaboratively with its regional and international partners to ensure peace, security, and resilience in Africa and beyond.
One of Nigeria’s most accomplished Journalists and Columnists, Yakubu Mohammed, has told the sad story that led to the collapse of Newswatch Magazine, the first serious and as then, most successful Weekly News Magazine published in Nigeria.
Along with late Dele Giwa, Yakubu, Ray Ekpu and Dan Agbese founded Newswatch. It was their brainchild. It was also the toast of the moment. And had some of Nigeria’s bests in the Journalism profession on board.
However, it, suddenly, gradually disappeared from the newstands after months of “struggling”, attributed mainly, to the punishing economic situation in the Country which also forced other News Magazines to migrate from hard copy to Online. It has not been the same for the Magazine industry and their founders since then.
What surprised many when Newswatch went under was that it did at a time it was public that Jimoh Ibrahim, business mogul, serial entrepreneur, now a Senator, had, allegedly, pumped in hundreds of millions of Naira into the publishing house as a core investor; that the quartet of Ekpu, Agbese, Mohammed and Soji Akinrinade, will still be there as Executive Directors and see to the running of the Company they had sweated for, and invested so much in. They were to be consulting Editors. What was expected was that Newswatch would “roar”. But that didn’t happen.
Within a couple of months, Ibrahim did away with the quartet before they knew what was happening. They were humiliated out. Nobody quite knew what happened. It was all guess work and speculation. But finally, the messy, inside story is out, from the horse’s mouth – Yakubu Mohammed.
Mohammed, in his just finished memoir, “Beyond Expectations”, likened what they went through in the hands of now Senator Ibrahim to “as painful as death.” He said it was worse than the 13 days they spent in prison during the repressive regime of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
He said that the first time they met with Ibrahim and shook hands with him, they thought it was beautiful, but were unaware it was the death warrant of the magazine they were signing.
12 years after, they are still in Court with Ibrahim over Newswatch, over unfulfilled promises, assurances and agreements. However, he disclosed that a number of prominent Nigerian Leaders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Head of State, General Abulsalami Abubakar, have waded in, and that both parties could settle out of Court and perhaps, Newswatch could come back on stream.
Part of Mohammed’s story in his memoir reads:
“The founders (of Newswatch) had decided to expand the operations of the weekly magazine in 2011, after 25 years of successfully publishing it.
They decided to expand operations to include a daily newspaper and a radio station.
“We also planned to reposition our nascent book company, NewswatchBooks Limited, and make our library the best media archive in this part of Africa and ,thereafter, retire.
“To make this dream come true, we decided to shop for more investors as we did when we conceived the idea of Newswatchin 1984.
“We involved our managers in search of credible investors.
“One of them, Bankole Makinde, our advertisement manager, introduced to us Jimoh Ibrahim, a businessman and publisher as a possible core investor.
“Ray, Dan, Soji (Akinrinade) and I walked into the warm embrace of Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim in May 2011.
“There was nothing to indicate to us that we were about to sign the death warrant of our company, Newswatch Communications Limited.
“We did not anticipate that any fate worse than our 13-day ordeal in Abacha’s gulag would come our way again.
“But the calamity that befell us after a handshake with Jimoh Ibrahim was as painful as death, and signalled a reversal of fortune and the death of a dream.
“Newswatch, the darling of media consumers in Nigeria and abroad, had suffered an almost irreversible misfortune.
“At the time of writing this, it has been off the streets for 13 years.”
He said that Ibrahim had initially announced the retention of theNewswatch founders as Executive Directors and Consulting Editors for a period of two years, but gradually started reneging on agreed terms.
“We were to resume after our vacation. But this was not to be so.
“In the same vein, he equally failed to pay the N510 million for his 51 per cent shares in line with the share purchase agreement.
“After pussyfooting for a while, he reluctantly approved that the company should pay us our retirement benefits.
“For this, he made available a total sum N310 million, saying to us that this was what the company could afford”
Until he finally eased them out, Mohammed said, the company could still not afford to pay the balance of their benefits. But he said that was nothing compared to the fate that later befell them.
“After holding board meetings for one year, he whimsically closed down the company in 2012 when staff were complaining about unpaid salaries and allowances.
“Because we intervened on behalf of the staff, he said we were no longer directors of the company.”
They finally ended in court with him, and still there 12 years and counting. But a glimmer of hope.
According to him, “On the advice of prominent leaders in this country, including President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, we approached Sen. Ibrahim to discuss the matter.”
Perhaps, this intervention would work. And just perhaps, one day, Newswatch would come back on stream.
The increment in Passport Processing by the Federal Government has generated anger among Nigerians
The Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, had announced increment in obtaining a New Passport, as Nigerians will now pay significantly more than the previous fee after the Federal Government approved an upward review of processing fees to N100,000 and N200,000 depending on the category the citizen requested for.
The move, according to the Federal Government, is necessary to sustain the quality and security of the country’s travel document.
But not a few Nigerians are lamenting that this development has put more financial burden on the citizens who are complaining about the pathetic economic situation of the nation.
The FG is saying that the move come as part of efforts to align the Nigerian passport system with international standards while preparing for the rollout of an upgraded e-passport.
The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, had stated that the new rates will take effect from September 1, 2025, and will only apply to applications processed within Nigeria.
According to the revised fee structure, a 32-page passport with a five-year validity will now cost N100,000, while a 64-page passport valid for 10 years has been pegged at N200,000.
NIS spokesman, A.S. Akinlabi, explained that the increase was necessary to maintain the integrity of the document and guarantee Nigerians a secure and reliable travel identity.
“This review was carried out to strengthen service delivery and uphold the standard of the Nigerian passport as we prepare to launch the new version,” he stated.
However, the Immigration Service clarified that Nigerians living abroad would not be affected by the new policy.
Applicants in the diaspora will continue paying $150 for a 32-page passport with five years’ validity, and $230 for the 64-page passport valid for 10 years.
While acknowledging that the new rates may appear steep, the agency assured applicants that accessibility and efficiency in passport issuance remain its priority.
Deji Adeyanju, a political activist and Lawyer will appear before a Law Court to prove his many allegations against Peter Obi, a two-term Governor of Anambra State and the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Election, unless he acts fast and meets Obi’s demands.
Adeyanju, since 2022, has been a constant strong critic of Obi. He has painted Obi in many unflattering colours, and called him a number of names, including a scum. Obi endured all that for those number of times. But no longer.
Taking everything into consideration, especially, the damage Obi says Adeyanju’s characterisation of him has done to his image and character, Obi now says enough is enough.
He has, therefore, triggered a legal action against Adeyanju over “persistently spreading false and malicious and defamatory statements against him on the microblogging platform X, Facebook and other channels”.
In a letter of demand issued on Obi’s behalf by his Lawyer, Alex Ejesieme, SAN, Adeyanju was accused of persistently referring to the former LP Presidential candidate as corrupt, fraudulent, and a religious bigot. Some of the publications, the letter pointed out, date back to 2022. All of them, he said, were meant to injure Obi’s reputation among Nigerians and the international community.
The letter cited some of the posts where Adeyanju alleged that “Obi diverted Anambra State funds into family businesses, attempted to bribe him after a private meeting, and used religion to manipulate voters during the 2023 presidential campaign.”
Those allegations were described by Obi’s legal team as “false, malicious, and contrived”, with no truth whatsoever in them.
Adeyanju, the letter further pointed out, characterized Obi as “the leader of a mob” and called him “a scum.”
The lawyer said that the remarks were deliberately calculated to portray Obi as an “anarchist and a divisive figure.”
The legal team is, therefore, demanding an immediate delete, by Adeyanju, of all defamatory posts, an issue of a public apology across his social media platforms, and publishing of same in three national dailies.
It warned: failure to comply within seven days would compel Obi to institute a lawsuit seeking aggravated damages, a restraining injunction, and recovery of legal costs because, “The statements have been widely disseminated, causing untold damage to our client’s reputation and integrity.”
“ Opportunists are manipulators who take advantage of an opportunity to reach their goals without regard for ethics and morals.” ― Nadine Sadaka Boulos.
Former Ebonyi State Governor and Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has recently adopted the title ‘The Authoritative Voice of Ndigbo.’ However, he may not fully grasp the responsibilities associated with such a designation. It might be more accurate to describe him as the authoritative voice for Tinubu in Igboland. Even that claim faces competition from recent Tinubu supporters like Governor Charles Soludo, who only reconnected his longtime friendship with Tinubu ahead of the November 8, 2025, gubernatorial election in his state despite previously in 2023 supporting Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of Tinubu who was also on the ballot for the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Umahi has also Governor Hope Uzodinma and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu to contend with as the duo have long clearly aligned themselves with Tinubu and the ruling APC in the South East, unlike Umahi who has likely only known Tinubu closely for the past five years.
Being the authoritative voice for Ndigbo is a significant responsibility; it is not a position meant for bootlickers or sycophants. This role requires an individual who can speak truth to power consistently and is prepared to face the consequences. Umahi lacks the necessary qualities to express the true feelings of the Igbo community regarding Tinubu and his administration. A partisan and overly ambitious individual cannot effectively fulfill this role. One cannot be an establishment figure while simultaneously claiming to represent a position that requires constant alignment with the marginalised and a relentless fight against injustice. Advocating for justice on behalf of a consistently marginalized group like the Ndigbo necessitates a character marked by selflessness, not egocentrism.
Why do we still yearn for the commendable tenure of Chief John Nnia Nwodo as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo? It’s because he was not just a leader; his voice was powerful and clear, instilling pride in every Igbo person during his time.
Our new Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, Senator Azuta Mbata, seems to still be finding his footing, and we hope to see a vibrant Mbata reminiscent of the Chuba Okadigbo senate era. Currently, the leadership vacuum is palpable, allowing someone like Engr. Umahi to step in where he is clearly unqualified.
Dave Umahi
If Ohanaeze were active and influential, they would have urged Umahi to stop misleadingly claiming that Tinubu’s administration is benefiting the Southeast. They would have presented empirical data showing that many federal roads he oversees as Minister of Works remain impassable in the Southeast. They would have provided him with detailed statistics regarding federal appointments and the low representation of Ndigbo in this regard.
As a seasoned politician, President Tinubu understands that individuals like Umahi, who claim to secure 90% of the votes in the Southeast, are not being truthful; however, he may find such fabrications useful in maintaining his image as a national leader and for the convenience of a likely rigging strategy. If Ohanaeze were active, they would have taken on Umahi on his call for Igbos to support other regions and reminded him that Igbos have consistently supported other regions since 1999, and it is now time for reciprocal support. In the elections of 1999 and 2003, the Southeast voted overwhelmingly for Olusegun Obasanjo from the Southwest, even when his own region rejected him. In 2007, they supported Umaru Yar’Adua from the North, and in 2011, Goodluck Jonathan from the South-South. It is evident that the Igbos have shown support for other regions.
Umahi is certainly living in denial by claiming that all Southeast governors support Tinubu, believing that their status guarantees him the region’s votes. His sycophantic position may blind him to the political changes observed in the 2023 elections, where the electoral relevance of governors is now closely tied to the sentiments of the people towards their leadership. The era in which governors could dictate voting patterns in their states has long passed.
While Ohanaeze and other opposition voices remain dormant, allowing Engr. Umahi to dominate the discourse, the true aspirations of the Ndigbo may continue to be overlooked as he propagate his falsehoods. However, the Umuada Igbo have openly challenged him and dismantled his arguments. Under the umbrella of the Igbo Women General Assembly, they confronted Umahi’s claims, questioning how someone who professes to be the authoritative voice for Ndigbo can remain silent in the face of the challenges Igbos face in Lagos at the hands of empowered Tinubu loyalists. This so-called authoritative voice for Ndigbo oversees significant projects in Lagos state for Tinubu, including destroying a multi-billion-naira landmark Resort belonging to an Igboman. Meanwhile, his region continues to struggle with impassable roads.
Additionally, the South East Mandate for Good Governance, led by Convener Bishop Prof. Emeka Nwankpa, has raised important issues with President Tinubu, highlighting what they describe as the “continued systematic marginalisation of the South East region” within Nigeria’s political and structural landscape. They have pointed out the consistent underrepresentation of the Southeast in federal appointments, infrastructure development, education, and state creation. According to Bishop Nwankpa, such concerns must be addressed for the betterment of the region that stands as one of Nigeria’s three major ethnic pillars, which has, over time, been reduced to the margins of power and influence in a manner that threatens national cohesion.
The petition paints a disturbing picture: from the lowest number of federal universities and states in the federation, to exclusion from top political offices, infrastructural decay, economic neglect, and railway/aviation disparities. It further decried the region’s worsening security situation, which the Federal Government has responded to with militarisation rather than addressing root causes like unemployment and underdevelopment. According to the group, the imbalance is a contradiction too glaring to be ignored. What the South East seeks is not privilege, but fairness. The petition urges the National Assembly to use its legislative powers to correct the injustices and restore equity to one of Nigeria’s founding regions.
Undoubtedly, Engr Umahi by all standards is doing well for himself and he is even free to say that his politics has been lucrative and rewarding. It’s immaterial how his political trajectories have been, but he has proven to be a good student of the famous Italian political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, the Author of The Prince, who once said, “People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage, they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them, there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.” What Tinubu is doing to Igbos is designed to keep them further out of the equation permanently and has regrettably found the likes of Umahi a willing tool.
Everything you would want to know about Dave Umahi’s politics should be found in the yet-to-be-written memoirs of his former boss, Governor Martin Elechi, who later became his victim.
Tracing how Engr Umahi became the PDP Ebonyi state Chairman, how he became the Deputy Governor and how he dribbled his way to be Governor and from there dumbed the PDP for the ruling APC in search of President allegedly promised him by his then so called friend, late Muhammedu Buhari but ended up in the Senate and now Minister, his political journey has been laced with a lot of fascinating intrigues.
For him, the journey has been smooth, no treachery, all bravery and astuteness. But to several political watchers, Umahi represents one of the most ferocious and searing politicians of this era.
We recall how, along with Ike Ekweremadu and others, they nearly pulled down the PDP roof in 2018 when the PDP Presidential Candidate for the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, chose Peter Obi ahead of them as running mate. Till today, they have not forgiven Atiku and PDP for that choice, which they saw as a slap because Obi was then a new entrant into the party.
But not long after, the same Umahi who cried blue murder for choosing Obi, a neophyte in the party, over them, schemed for Buhari to pick him as the APC Presidential flagbearer, where he was also a newcomer. To most Nigerian politicians, when self is involved, justice and equity can wait or be given a new definition.
But till today, Atiku’s choice is still the best. Since his Vice Presidential days, Atiku has proven to be a wizard when it comes to picking good heads around him for national duties. History will continue to record him right in that area. Atiku knew why he avoided the likes of Ekweremadu and Umahi for an Obi who was just coming into the PDP at the time.
What actually drives Umahi is his ego; what concerns him most now is how to remain relevant before Tinubu, the man who pays the piper and who is successfully and viciously dictating the tune. To hell with Igbo interest if it contradicts with Umahi’s personal interest. For a long time, Igbos have been hearing about supporting other regions, coming mostly from stomach-directed Igbo politicians. People are no longer surprised at the betrayal nature of some Igbo politicians, especially when they find favour in the opposite camp because of what opportunism offers. No wonder we are told that when opportunists see the World going to the dogs they start selling dog food instead of trying to prevent it.
Some Igbo politicians don’t mind their people remaining in perpetual servitude so long as their personal aggrandisements are assured. They call themselves foresighted and smart politicians when in truth they are opportunists who live on expediency, who hide the truth and keep the options for the achievement of the purpose. May God save Igboland from such people.
Abonyi is an accomplished Journalist, Columnist and Media Consultant
When I wrote that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is an animal that eats its curator for lunch, it sounded like a stretch. But so far, the tenure of Bayo Ojulari as group chief executive officer is proving it. This might not be obvious if you look solely at Nigeria’s current crude oil sales.
The figure has climbed from about 1.6m bpd when Ojulari was appointed last April to about N1.9m bpd. That is good news for a cash-strapped country plagued by oil theft, weak infrastructure, divestments and thousands of barrels in swap deals.
The bad news is that Ojulari’s preemptory comment about the fate of Nigeria’s moribund refineries could endanger his early success. He is in enough trouble already, from internal rebellion to diminished investor confidence, and a siege on the company’s Abuja headquarters on Wednesday by protesters from the Niger Delta demanding quota over competence.
All that is minus ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Senate Public Accounts Committee into matters that mostly predate his tenure, but the fallouts of which may affect him.
Flip-flop
Now, his misery would be compounded by his statement on August 20 at a summit by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), that the government will fix Nigeria’s moribund refineries over our dead bodies.
I pinched myself to be sure. Hetold Bloomberg in a July interview that the refineries were facing significant challenges, despite heavy investments and the introduction of new technologies. Many of the technologies implemented, he said, have not worked as expected and revamping the old refineries abandoned for years has proven to be more complicated than anticipated. He added that a full review was ongoing, and the outcome was expected at the end of 2025.
One month later, he promises that “the refineries will work.” Perhaps he said this to make his hosts, the union leaders, happy, and, as expected, they welcomed his announcement with rapturous applause. Yet, when the applause fades and the fawning crowd disperses, Ojulari and his hosts know that promising the refineries will work is foolish. In any case, that decision is not even in his hands.
2025 ending early
He didn’t have to preempt the report of the “full review.” After the review is complete, the right thing is for him to share the report with the board and the President, who would decide what to do in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated, and with the advice of the National Economic Council. The refinery is not Ojulari’s private company. He cannot decide its fate, one way or the other, to please the unions or any vested interests.
The unions are part of the problem. In 2007, when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua reversed the sale of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries after Blue Star, the Dangote-led consortium had paid $670 million for it, the ill-advised reversal was at the behest of the unions and special political interests, swooning over the loss of a so-called national patrimony. But it was nothing of the sort. They just wanted business as usual.
Back to The Matter
After swallowing over $86 billion in turnaround maintenance, Nigeria’s state-run refineries are the country’s biggest crime scene. Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, Nigeria paid $1.5 billion to fix the Port Harcourt Refinery alone.
The money was not paid to Chiyoda, the manufacturer of the refinery, nor were they even requested to have a look. Instead, it was paid to Maire Tecnimont, an Italian consultancy, which may have spent more time managing sub-contractors referred by NNPCL to keep everyone happy than fixing the refinery.
The repair was not dead on arrival. It died at conception, and the undertakers at NNPCL only needed a consultant for the funeral. When Femi Falana, SAN, requested details of work done and progress on the repairs, Tecnimont asked him to look elsewhere. We’re looking; all we can find is a refinery not working, and money wasted.
It’s funny that whenever the name of Chiyoda (builders of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries) has come up, NNPCL top brass has responded that they couldn’t be reached to fix the refinery because of a Japanese government advisory against citizens working in the Niger Delta. Yet, Chiyoda is part of the Saipem consortium on the LNG Train 7 in Bonny, the heart of the Niger Delta. How did the NLNG management reach them?
A Bottomless Pit
In the end, after a series of false starts, missed deadlines, and deliberate misinformation under former NNPCL GCEO, Mele Kyari, by the time the so-called rehabilitation finished, the Port HarcourtRefinery was producing less than 36,000 bpd (60 percent of its installed capacity), a shade better than you might expect from the litany of artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta creeks.
Amongbeneficiaries of the squalid mess – who would also be pleased by another futile round of multi-billion dollar rehabilitation – is acontractor responsible for importing “blend” from Malta,from which the Port Harcourt Refinery produces something like petrol and diesel.
This is the trap Ojulari is walking into as he contemplates keeping the refineries. He should publish the “full review,” which would be nothing short of a technological miracle if it exists and is viable.
Whose interest would another repair – or keeping the refineries – serve? In a timely warning published in April, one of Nigeria’s most experienced and knowledgeable energy experts, Dan D. Kunle, warned that Ojulari must do things differently because of significant challenges from a trust deficit to poor choices over the years that have caused investment to dry up “across the board.” The warning may have been brushed aside.
Apples and Oranges
Ojulari could argue that Nigeria needs the government refineries back to head off a possible Dangote monopoly. That would make sense if the refineries were competing with Dangote. They’re not – and cannot.The combined capacity of the four refineries, even in their heyday, was200,000 bpd,far less than Dangote’s 650,000 bpd, never mind in the present circumstances, when they have, for years, been a sinkhole.
Whose interest does a potential repair serve? Perhaps that of contractors who have made billions of dollars from fake turnaround maintenance. Or politicians with inexhaustible lists of cronies to recommend for jobs. Or maybe those of workers in the refineries, who, according to a BusinessDayreport, received N69 billion in salaries, wages and benefits in 2020 for doing nothing.
It’s fine if Ojulari fancies his task as raising the dead, but a long, distinguished list of his predecessors who tried were lunch for the beast.
Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book, Writing for Media and Monetising It.
The apex socio-cultural organization of Ndigbo, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, has strongly refuted claims suggesting that it has barred Igbo sons/daughters from contesting the 2027 Presidential Election.
The body stated that all politically active persons of Igbo extraction are free to exercise their civic obligations and rights as it has not placed any ban on anybody or groups from participating in the country’s democratic process.
The Ohaneze Ndigbo position is coming against the backdrop of the statement made by one Okechukwu Isiguzo and cohort, one Thompson Ohia, in Abakaliki Ebonyi State last week claiming that no Igbo person will vie for the presidency in 2027, as the people have endorsed the second term bid of President Bola Tinubu.
Instructively, Isiguzo,and his co-travellers have always been parroting a nebulous factional Ohaneze Ndigbo in the recent past to hoodwink,and mislead the unsuspecting public, as well as to massage their interests.
The non-existent Ohaneze Ndigbo faction, also, claimed that the decision to stop all Igbo persons from contesting the 2027 presidential polls was reached at Imeobi and Nzukoumuna meetings of the body, noting that Ohaneze Ndigbo resolved to field Presidential candidates only in 2035.
But in a statement on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the President-General of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator Azuta Mbata, while dismissing the claims by Isiguzo and others as false, misleading and mischievous, urged any Igbo person, interested in contesting the 2027 presidential election to do so.
According to Mbata, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, being a socio-cultural organization does not have the power to stop anybody from aspiring to, and/or contesting for any elective office in the country.
“Any Igbo person who belongs to a political party and wants to contest any elections whatsoever in 2027 is free to do.
“Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide is a socio-cultural organization of Ndigbo and not a political party. As such, Ohaneze Ndigbo is not in a position to say, dictate, or even advise on who should, and shouldn’t contest elections in Nigeria in 2027, or at any time for that matter.
“Ndigbo are advised to continue their lawful political activities in the various political parties of their choice and membership.
“Any publications to the contrary did not originate from Ohaneze Ndigbo, and should be discountenanced by the entirety of Ndigbo”, Senator Mbata noted.
Association of Resident Doctors under the Edo State Government employment slams Governor for the gift, lament state of State-owned hospitals
Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Edo state has accused the state government for abandoning government owned hospitals and instead allocating ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, (UBTH).
Governor Monday Okpebholo had announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to the Government House, Benin.
Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.
The PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare pointed out that the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.
The statement added, “This misadventure is not only reckless, but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.
“Edo people are being made to suffer, while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.
“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State government employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”
The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.
The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.
“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”
The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.
“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all.
“By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.
“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people.
“Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.
“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.
Access Holdings Plc has appointed Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Ike was a former Managing Director of Polaris Bank, where he served from 2020 to 2022
The announcement comes just hours after Roosevelt Ogbonna, resigned from the company’s board in line with new corporate governance rules issued by the CBN.
Ogbonna is the managing director of Access Bank Plc, the banking arm of Access Holdings.
In a notice filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX on Wednesday, the holding company explained that Ogbonna, who remains the chief executive of Access Bank Plc, stepped down from the Board in line with the CBN Corporate Governance Guidelines for Financial Holding Companies, FHC.
The guideline stipulates that the directors of Holding companies should not exceed nine at a time.
“Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) today announces the resignation of one of its Non-Executive Directors. Roosevelt Ogbonna from the Board after three and a half years of dedicated service. Ogbonna continues to serve as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, the Company’s flagship subsidiary.
“His resignation allows the Company to comply with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Corporate Governance Guidelines for Financial Holding Companies in Nigeria, 2023, which stipulates a maximum of nine (9) directors for the Board of a Financial Holding Company,” the company said in the notice. .
