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Oyebanji: It’ll will be shameful if Ekiti fails to deliver 90% votes for Tinubu

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has said it will be shameful if the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council cannot deliver 90 per cent of the votes for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Oyebanji said this on Friday in Ado-Ekiti during the inauguration of the 157-member Ekiti State APC Presidential Campaign Council

He urged members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council to intensify grassroots mobilisation and voter tracking.

The governor, who chairs the council, said its responsibilities should extend beyond organising rallies and political campaigns.

He urged members to identify registered voters who abstained from previous elections and persuade them to participate in the 2027 polls.

Oyebanji said the party’s political strength and experience in Ekiti should translate into stronger electoral performance for Tinubu.

He cited his 85.7 per cent victory in the June 20, 2026 governorship election as a benchmark.

‘With the calibre of people we have here, it will be a shame on all of us if we cannot pull 90 per cent.

‘If we could pull 85.7 per cent in the governorship election, the least we can do for the President is 90 per cent,’ he said.

Oyebanji, however, identified low voter turnout as a major challenge, in spite of Ekiti having more than one million registered voters.

He disclosed that fewer than 400,000 people participated in the June 20 governorship election.

The governor said the disparity highlighted the need to prioritise voter participation ahead of the presidential election.

He directed the council to identify non-voters, establish why they stayed away and develop strategies to encourage their participation.

‘Our major work, as far as I am concerned, is not campaigning. Our major work is to identify those that opted out and did not come out to vote in June and bring them out.

‘Anything other than that, we are wasting our time,’ he said.

He said the council would adopt a systematic approach involving voters’ registers and identifying eligible voters across polling units, wards and local government areas.

Speaking on behalf of the council, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, pledged members’ commitment to achieving the governor’s target.

Bamidele described the assignment as achievable, citing the APC’s political experience, organisational capacity and grassroots structures.

He commended Oyebanji for ensuring an inclusive composition of the council.

Bamidele also said the governor’s recent re-election had provided the party with valuable experience and momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Earlier, Ekiti APC Chairman, Sola Elesin, said the council was established to galvanise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Elesin urged members to demonstrate commitment, dedication and responsibility in delivering the party’s electoral objectives.

He expressed confidence that Ekiti would rank among the states delivering the highest number of votes for Tinubu in 2027.

Lagos warns residents against dumping refuse in canals as flood risks rise

The Lagos State Government has warned residents against dumping refuse into canals and drainage channels, cautioning that the practice worsens flooding and undermines efforts to maintain a clean and healthy environment.

The warning was issued on Saturday during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, which was monitored by the wife of the governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, in the Ajina area of Ikorodu Local Government Area, and the Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, in Ikeja.

Mrs Sanwo-Olu urged residents of Ikorodu to sustain the sanitation exercise beyond the last Saturday of every month, expressing hope that the local government would emerge as the cleanest in the state.

She stressed the importance of continuous public sensitisation in promoting environmental cleanliness, noting that changing people’s attitudes towards sanitation requires sustained efforts.

The governor’s wife encouraged residents to adopt proper sanitation practices in their homes, schools, markets and communities, emphasising that keeping Lagos clean was a collective responsibility.

She also commended residents, particularly children, youths, market traders and environmental sanitation workers, for their active participation in the exercise and their early turnout to clean their surroundings.

Speaking with journalists after the monitoring exercise in Ikeja, Agoro said Saturday’s exercise was the seventh since March. He urged local government chairmen and their executives to mobilise residents and intensify efforts to improve environmental cleanliness.

He described sanitation as a continuous responsibility and expressed concern that government officials observed some residents dumping refuse into canals during the exercise.

According to him, the Ministry of the Environment had been notified to clear the affected canals, while arrangements were being made to reconstruct a canal in the area in consultation with the relevant drainage authorities.

Agoro, however, warned that clearing the canals would have little impact if residents continued to dispose of waste indiscriminately.

The Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Mr Akeem Dauda, said the council had been sensitising communities on the need to stop dumping refuse into canals and other unauthorised locations.

Dauda commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sustaining the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing it as an important platform for mobilising residents and promoting environmental responsibility.

The sanitation exercise in Ikeja covered Onilekere Street, Saidu Street, Olumo Street, Ijesha Close and Olúkòyí Street.

Meanwhile, the state government has introduced an environmental sanitation competition among all local government areas to encourage cleanliness and promote healthier environmental practices.

Under the initiative, the local governments will compete for recognition as the cleanest in Lagos State, with the winner expected to be announced soon.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Tunbosun Ogunbanwo; and members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) also participated in the exercise.

Delta threatens sanctions over delayed Orere bridge road projects worth over N38bn

The Delta State Government has threatened sanctions against the contractor handling the Orere River Bridge and Edjekota-Ewu-Orere Road projects in Ughelli South Local Government Area over the slow pace of work.

The government deemed the progress unsatisfactory and warned it would take appropriate action if the contractor failed to improve performance.

The Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads) Comrade Reuben Izeze gave the warning yesterday during an inspection of the projects accompanied by engineers from the ministry.

Izeze expressed displeasure with the level of activity at the sites accusing the contractor of failing to demonstrate the commitment required to deliver the projects within the expected timelines.

He said the contractor could no longer hide behind the rainy season to justify the slow progress insisting that the situation observed during the inspection was unacceptable.

The commissioner stated: ‘As far as I am concerned the contractor is not on site and I must express my strong displeasure with its attitude and pace of work.

‘When the rain was falling heavily that was the excuse. But today the rain can no longer be an excuse because I am not satisfied with what I am seeing.

‘It seems this contractor is taking advantage of its relationship with the state government and that is unacceptable to us.’

He noted that the Oborevwori administration had consistently supported indigenous contractors to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the state’s infrastructure development.

He stressed however that government support must be matched with commitment diligence and timely delivery warning that no contractor would be allowed to take such assistance for granted.

Izeze also accused the contractor of putting up appearances only when Ministry of Works officials visited the project sites rather than maintaining consistent construction activities.

According to him the government is no longer prepared to accept a situation where contractors mobilised workers and equipment merely to impress inspection teams.

‘This contractor is one of those that have received the full backing of this administration in a bid to encourage indigenous contractors. He has received every form of encouragement.

‘We have come here after the rain to see this kind of window dressing to make it appear as though they have been busy. For me it is unacceptable. We have gone beyond the stage of window dressing and trying to be on site only whenever the contractor hears that ministry officials are coming for inspection’ he said.

The commissioner directed the contractor’s representative to convey the government’s displeasure to the company’s management warning that another unsatisfactory inspection could trigger a recommendation for appropriate sanctions.

‘I want the representative of the contractor to pass this message to their principal that if we come here next time and witness this type of situation we will have no option but to make the appropriate recommendation to our boss in Asaba’ he warned.

He said the projects had already exceeded the period within which they ought to have made significant progress adding that the government would not continue to tolerate delays at the expense of residents who urgently need the infrastructure.

The Orere River Bridge project which includes access roads and a spur in Orere Town was awarded to the contractor on January 27 2021 at an initial cost of N9.85 billion. The contract sum was subsequently reviewed to N32.45 billion.

The same contractor is also handling the rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of the Edjekota-Ewu-Orere Road awarded on September 3 2026 at a cost of N6.92 billion.

The road project was formally mobilised on September 10 2026 with completion scheduled for March 10 2028.

Missing 35-year-old man found dead in Occidental Mindoro village

A 35-year-old man who had been reported missing was found dead in a village in Santa Cruz, Occidental Mindoro on Friday morning, Oct. 30, police said.

The victim’s body was discovered at around 9:30 a.m. in Sitio Amnay, Barangay Barahan, after a farmer reportedly spotted his white Honda XRM 125 motorcycle in the area, according to the Santa Cruz Municipal Police Station.

Investigators said the man was last seen riding the motorcycle before he went missing.

Police officers immediately proceeded to the area after receiving the report and coordinated with the Provincial Forensic Unit (PFU) to conduct a crime scene investigation and gather and preserve potential evidence.

The Santa Cruz police did not disclose further details about the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death.

Authorities said they were continuing their investigation to establish what happened, identify those responsible, and bring them to justice.

The police urged anyone with information that could help the investigation to report to the nearest police station or directly contact the Santa Cruz Municipal Police Station.

5 years after, attack victims remain displaced

For more than five years, home has remained a distant memory for many internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps in Benue, and Borno, where the hope of returning to their ancestral communities grows increasingly uncertain with each passing day. Weekend Trust highlights the plights of these IDPs.

Why we haven’t returned home – Benue IDPs

In Benue State, thousands of internally displaced persons have remained in camps for more than five years and unwilling to return to their ancestral homes for fear of being killed as persistent insecurity has continued t, hindering their safe return home.

Jacob Ibaah, one of thousands of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) staying at the Agagbe camp in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue after it was formally opened in 2021, stayed in different make-shift homes after their displacement from their homes by armed invaders.

‘The displacement started in my community in 2003. I remember vividly that I was in secondary school when the armed men first came and attacked us. Since then it has been off and on; we tried to go back but we are attacked again. In 2021, the government formally established the Agagbe camp where we are now.

‘We haven’t returned to our villages because those who tried it were killed. Others barely escaped with life threatening injuries,’ Ibaah said.

Dooshima Tyohem, another displaced person, and a mother of two at the Abagana camp along Makurdi – Lafia road in Benue State, noted that she had been displaced from her home since 2018.

‘We can’t go back home because it’s dangerous to do so,’ she said.

Similarly, Esther Francis, displaced from her Guma village to living in the Abagana camp, lamented that returning home remains a far-fetched dream for most people like her because it still wasn’t safe just as there are no houses to return to.

Francis said, ‘We are eager to return to our ancestral homes but it’s not safe. Men are still being killed as they try to go back to their farms while women are raped. Besides, the promised reconstruction of our destroyed communities by government is yet to be fulfilled.’ She said.

For Jessica Mbaneneen Halavaan, who has spent eight years at Ugba camp in Logo LGA, the situation in her village remains volatile for any resident to think of returning.

‘We can’t dare go back home. Any thought of doing so is a suicide mission,’ she replied to our correspondent.

Anita Tsavwua, a displaced teenager at Anyiin camp in Logo said they fled their homes at Tombu council ward in 2018 after initial attacks which began in 2014.

She noted that her village till date remains deserted because the attackers have occupied the area, making it difficult for her parent to return home.

‘There is nobody in my village, and we can’t go back because the attackers are still killing people on the road. Recently, a village close to ours was attacked and people were killed,’ she said.

A former Camp chairman of Tse-Yandev, Gabriel Yev, who had been in camp since 2020 lamented the plights of IDPs, noting that they are compelled by situation to live in the camps because anyone who tries to go back to their homes are usually killed by the attackers.

‘In the past, two of my younger ones went to check their farms because they cultivated their maize when the rainy season started before they were chased away from the village.

‘They went to see if they could get something to eat because there was no food in the camp for us to eat at the time. As they went there, they were caught alive, taken away and after some days, the gunmen who abducted them called and informed the father that his children were killed and he should go and pick their corpses, adding that while coming he should be prepared to fight. So, there was no way for us to retrieve the corpses,’ Yev said.

In the same vein, Damian Samuel, who has lived with five members of his family including his wife for six years now at the IDPs camp situated along Uniagric road in North Bank, Makurdi, said they really want to go back to their ancestral homeland.

‘There is no place like home but we can go back yet. Our community is not safe,’ he said.

Similarly, Abuugh Terese, 13, said, ‘I’m orphaned by the crisis. My mother and father were killed in the farm at our village in Ayanse in Yande – Moon district of Turan. We want government to send more security to quell the crisis so we can go back home.

Terese added, ‘Our community is still deserted and not safe for return.’

Also, Tsokaa Orngu, 8, a primary 4 pupil whose family was displaced from Kumakwugh council ward, appeals to government to provide security to enable them return home so that his father can resume farming activities in order to pay school fees and provide food for his household.

Little Oche Solomon from Agatu and many other children from the affected trio LGAs, whose family were displaced also seek government’s intervention so they can go back to their ancestral homes.

Awuhe Solomon, 35, a gunshot survivor when his village in Turan ward was attacked by the invaders now bears a health issue on his thigh below his abdomen but seek the intervention of government for people to return to their homes.

Solomon, a father of six children said his wife left him following the hardship which befell his family after their displacement, as he disclosed that he lost a total of 15 persons during the attack and now left with only four surviving siblings including himself.

‘I beg for food to survive. Look up there (pointing at a particular direction) is the road to my village but we can’t go beyond that place you can sight it from here because our killers are everywhere there. I’m afraid of my future and that if my children,’ he cried out.

In the same vein, retired Comptroller of Prisons, Chief Iorbee Ihagh, stressed the need for the President to direct the military to clear the state of bandits for farmers to return to their farms while the internally displaced persons return to their homes.

‘I’m also an IDP – our five council wards in Turan land were ransacked and taken over by the armed herders. As we speak for over 10 years, we have no access to Moon where I come from and where my parents were buried. Even when my wife died recently, we had no access to take her body there for burial so I buried her in Jato Aka.

‘I blame the federal government for the continuing insecurity. The solution remains with the federal government. The government should be clear on its directive – drive out the foreigners from our land so my people can go back to their homes,’ Ihagh maintained.

Only few days ago, the Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sir James Iorpuu, told journalists in Makurdi that the agency was working with humanitarian partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to provide resettlement facilities for the IDPs.

Iorpuu mentioned that approximately 110 displaced persons had been moved to an area identified as Akile, where they were expected to receive shelter and engage in farming to rebuild their livelihoods.

He further mentioned approximately 288 hectares of land reportedly provided by the state governor for resettlement purposes.

The SEMA chief said the initiatives were intended to decongest IDP camps, promote self-reliance and facilitate the eventual return of displaced persons to their ancestral communities when security conditions permitted.

‘Our homes still not liberated’

Similarly, in Borno, the case remains the same for many displaced persons. Despair deepens for IDPs in Maiduguri’s self-established camps years after fleeing their ancestral homes from the onslaught of Boko Haram insurgents, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in the Shuwari and Shagari low-cost camps in Maiduguri say they are trapped in a cycle of neglect, despair, and deteriorating security. Displaced primarily from the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, the IDPs report that despite ongoing military campaigns, their hometowns remain under the control of terrorists, leaving them with no safe path to return and no alternative relocation provided by the government. John Goma, Chairman of the EYN IDP camp, a government-registered facility currently housing 1,225 people across 385 households spoke candidly about the harsh realities of camp life. ‘We don’t even like to stay in the camp anymore, because life in this place is hell,’ Goma said. ‘I always appeal through the media for the federal government to reclaim our area so that we can return, but things are deteriorating instead.’ He said.

According to Goma, the overstretched use of official facilities like the EYN camp forced many desperate families to establish unofficial settlements, such as those in Shuwari and Shagari. Hundreds of vulnerable women, children, and elderly now reside in these unassisted enclaves.

‘They are on their own, and don’t receive any intervention from the government, and just like all of us here, can’t go back to their communities due to the insecurity of the area,’ Goma added.

For those living in the informal camps, the daily struggle for survival has taken a heavy toll on family structures and social values. Mary Joseph, an IDP at the Shuwari camp, described being cramped into fragile trampoline huts with little to no food to feed her children.

‘Ever since we came into this camp, our children have turned against our values; they don’t listen to us anymore,’ Joseph lamented, fighting back tears.

‘They realised that we have nothing to give them. We can’t feed them, we can’t pay their school fees, or take care of their needs.’ Joseph noted that the breakdown of parental control has left young girls vulnerable, with some failing to return home at night. ‘That is why we always appeal to the government to liberate our areas and make the place safe for us to return and raise our children on our own terms.’

Another displaced resident, Peter Timothy, accused authorities of abandoning them to their fate. He called on the federal government to intensify military operations to flush insurgents out of Gwoza and surrounding communities.

Voicing deep frustration over unfulfilled security promises, Timothy asked, ‘Forget the government promises, now what happened to the pupils of Mussa and Lassa that were abducted by the insurgents?

Tell me. And these communities are relatively secure compared to our deserted villages.’ He emphasized that living in the camp was not a choice, but a desperate necessity dictated by survival.

‘We have nobody to help us here, living a very difficult and helpless life in the camp, but we have no option.’ A 32-year-old Thabita Joseph, said she has been living in the camp for 15 years after Boko Haram terrorists displaced them from Ngoshe town.

‘Boko Haram displaced us from our village. I have three children to take care of, and now that the Harmattan cold is approaching we and the children will suffer through the season.

‘As it is now, our children need food, blankets, mats, and more but the government and even the NGOs have stopped their interventions. Very few organizations like the rescue are still helping us,’ said Joseph Another IDP Ilya Peter said, ‘Actually the weather will soon be really harsh but there is nothing we can do. Our prayer is for God to answer our prayers to return to our villages. Now our children have cold and severe fever and we can’t even afford to buy them warm clothes,’. Surayya John, a mother and a housewife, also said she spent over a decade in the camp but life in the camp is everyday turning from bad to worse.

‘Since the time we left our homes and farmlands, food has become a serious problem to all of us, and it has become a problem for us to feed and clothes our children. ‘Our children stopped going to school, some of them started following men who often gave them money and engaged in illicit affairs with them. ‘For that reason, the majority of us are now hypertensive because our husbands have no jobs and we have no means of supporting them. As the insurgency continues to cast a long shadow over northeastern Nigeria, the IDPs in Maiduguri’s margins remain steadfast in a single, urgent plea: for the government to reclaim their lands so they can finally rebuild their lives.

First Lady empowers 5000 Southeast women declares Nigeria entering prosperity

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has empowered 5000 vulnerable women across the Southeast with livelihood equipment and other support items saying the country has moved beyond the difficult phase of economic reforms and is now entering an era of prosperity.

The empowerment programme which included the distribution of sewing machines grinding machines popcorn machines and bags of 25kg rice took place at Okpara Square Enugu during the Southeast presidential campaign flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women’s Mobilisation Directorate.

The event also gave APC leaders and governors from the region a chance to rally support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election with the governors describing his administration as one that had already begun creating a new Nigeria through economic reforms infrastructure development and increased resources for states.

Addressing the gathering Mrs Tinubu said Nigerians should remain hopeful insisting that the sacrifices associated with the administration’s economic reforms would give way to improved economic conditions.

‘We’ve finished reforms. Now is the time for prosperity. Don’t let anybody deceive you. The wait is over; we’re stepping into prosperity’ she declared.

Using pregnancy and childbirth to illustrate the country’s economic journey the First Lady said Nigerians had endured the difficult period and were now pushing towards the delivery of prosperity.

‘You know that when a woman is pregnant she will be waiting for the day of delivery. And when the day comes she will be pushing hard to give birth to the baby. That’s the story of Nigeria under my husband’s administration. We’re pushing into prosperity’ she said.

She described the simultaneous conduct of political campaigns and empowerment programmes as evidence that the APC government was committed to translating its promises into tangible benefits for citizens.

‘Have you ever seen people campaigning and empowering citizens at the same time? That is what we’re doing. That is what the APC government is all about. We don’t just talk. We walk our talk’ she said.

Mrs Tinubu thanked the people of the Southeast for their support and affection recalling that she had received four traditional chieftaincy titles from communities in the region.

She assured Nigerian women that they would not suffer under her husband’s administration promising to continue advocating their interests.

The First Lady also announced plans to empower 250 persons with disabilities in each senatorial district across the country on December 3 to mark World Disability Day with each beneficiary receiving N200000.

She said the initiative would provide 750 beneficiaries in each state with financial assistance adding that another 250 elderly persons would benefit from an empowerment programme scheduled for December 17.

Mrs Tinubu urged the women to mobilise support for President Tinubu and all APC candidates in the January 16 2027 elections including governorship senatorial House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State said the Southeast had suffered marginalisation underdevelopment and poverty since the Nigerian Civil War but was now witnessing a different development trajectory under President Tinubu.

He said the President had expanded the scope of development in the country pointing to improvements in roads electricity drinking water and educational opportunities across the region.

Uzodimma said the governors had collectively reviewed the President’s performance and concluded that his administration was delivering on its promises.

‘We have looked at our leadership level. We have reviewed the performance of President Bola Tinubu at our leadership level. We concluded that there is a new Nigeria. And that new Nigeria is working’ he declared.

He cited the increased resources available to states under the Tinubu administration as a major factor enabling his government to execute several road projects in Imo State including the Okigwe-Owerri Umuahia-Owerri Owerri-Orlu and Owerri-Port Harcourt roads.

The governor also highlighted the empowerment of 5000 vulnerable women describing it as evidence that the President’s promise of prosperity was not empty.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State described the First Lady’s visit as a homecoming saying the empowerment programme aimed to transform women into independent wealth creators.

Mbah said that more than 2000 women had been empowered in Enugu State within the preceding 48 hours adding that the latest intervention was part of a broader initiative targeting 5000 women across the Southeast.

He said the equipment distributed would enable beneficiaries to establish businesses generate income and support their families.

‘We don’t want to be giving you fish all the time; we want you to be fishers as well. And that’s why today is very important’ he said.

The governor maintained that the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration had made more resources available to state governments to invest in critical sectors including education healthcare and infrastructure.

He cited Enugu’s Smart Green Schools and Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres as visible outcomes of the increased resources available to the state.

Mbah urged Nigerians to sustain the development trajectory insisting that the country could not abandon its journey because of the challenges associated with reforms.

‘A good captain does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. So we must finish the journey we all started together’ he said.

Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru and his Anambra counterpart Professor Chukwuma Soludo represented by his deputy Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim also aligned with the Southeast governors’ position on Tinubu’s administration.

Ibezim said Soludo sent him to welcome the First Lady explaining that progressive leaders across the country were working together because of what he described as the President’s performance.

He urged the people of the Southeast to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition saying the region should sustain its cooperation with the Federal Government.

Nwifuru who also commended the President’s commitment to the development of the Southeast has repeatedly described the ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the region as evidence that Tinubu is rewriting the region’s development history.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu also praised the President for what he described as his inclusive disposition towards the Igbo particularly the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).

Kalu said the President had demonstrated goodwill towards Ndigbo recalling his record as Lagos governor and his inclusion of an Igbo person in his cabinet.

He dismissed suggestions that the Southeast should accept a four-year presidential arrangement insisting that the region would seek an eight-year tenure when it eventually produces a Nigerian president.

Speaking on behalf of the wives of the Southeast governors Enugu State First Lady Mrs Nkechinyere Iheoma Mbah commended Senator Tinubu for prioritising women’s economic empowerment and supporting vulnerable households.

She said the interventions would strengthen women’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to their families and communities while encouraging beneficiaries to use the items provided productively.

The wife of the Senate President Mrs Unoma Godswill Akpabio also urged Nigerians to appreciate the achievements of the Tinubu administration insisting that the country was in good hands.

Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite said women’s empowerment remained a major priority of the President adding that several women had been lifted out of poverty through programmes pursued by the administration.

She described Tinubu as a leader committed to creating economic opportunities for Nigerian women.

The event attracted political leaders government officials APC stakeholders and thousands of women from Enugu Abia Anambra Ebonyi and Imo states.

Wike hails Tinubu’s leadership at Dunamis bridge commissioning

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has cited the swift approval of Dunamis church pedestrian bridge eight-year-old application as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership capacity and commitment to addressing longstanding administrative bottlenecks.

Wike who spoke on Friday when he commissioned the pedestrian bridge built by Dunamis church along Airport Road Abuja recalled that the church had submitted its application for approval in 2018 but could not secure the necessary clearance until February 2026 following his intervention.

According to the minister the application which had remained unattended to for years under previous administrations was processed within a month after he drew the attention of relevant authorities to it.

The minister said the development underscored the importance of responsive governance stressing that government must be judged by its ability to identify challenges address them and deliver results that improve the lives of citizens.

Wike also emphasised that effective governance requires cooperation between the government and the people noting that citizens should acknowledge achievements while holding public officials accountable for areas requiring improvement.

Wike cautioned against what he described as uninformed criticism particularly on social media urging Nigerians to look beyond political rhetoric and assess leaders based on their actions and the impact of their decisions.

He argued that leadership demands courage commitment and the willingness to take difficult decisions even when such decisions may not immediately appeal to everyone.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting institutions and community initiatives capable of contributing to societal development stressing that purposeful leadership must translate into tangible benefits for the people.

The General Overseer of Dunamis International Gospel Centre Dr. Paul Enenche underscored the transcendent value of legacy community impact and stewardship over material accumulation asserting that humanity is remembered not by what it hoards but by the problems it solves and the contributions it makes.

Recounting the arduous journey behind the project the cleric expressed profound appreciation to the FCT Minister and the nation’s leadership for graciously granting approval for the construction of the bridge noting that the community had pursued the critical public asset for half a decade.

‘We had endeavored to construct this bridge for the last six years’ Dr. Enenche stated.

He said: ‘We made presentations and so forth but for one reason or the other it was not forthcoming until just this year the approval came and we are grateful for that which has happened’.

He revealed that when negotiations began with the construction firm the contractors initially argued that the project would require a minimum of six months.

However following a revision to four months under intense round-the-clock scheduling the project was delivered ahead of standard projections-a feat the contractor described as a personal record.

‘They were put under pressure they worked night and day and we give the Lord the praise’ he added.

Addressing skeptics who might question the church’s direct involvement in municipal and infrastructural development Enenche anchored the initiative in divine principles.

‘The answer is simple: God is love’ he said citing 1 John 4:8.

He said; ‘To be a messenger of God means to be a messenger of love. And the definition of love-love is about giving.’

Shifting focus to national leadership and public service Enenche admonished citizens and leaders alike to prioritise eternal value over transient gains reminding the people of the inescapable accountability awaiting all mortals.

‘Future generations will remember all of us whether for good or for bad’ he warned.

The pastor urged the gathering to live purposefully for impact and with eternity in view reminding them that life’s ultimate destination transcends physical accomplishments.

2027: APC youths reject Okorocha’s court victory, back Uzodinma

The Imo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Wing has thrown its weight behind Governor Hope Uzodimma amid the lingering controversy over the party’s senatorial ticket for Imo West (Orlu Zone), insisting that the governor remains the rightful candidate.

Addressing journalists in Owerri on Friday, the State APC Youth Leader, Comrade Franklin Kennedy Chukwuemeka Ibeh, dismissed Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment recognising former Governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the Imo West senatorial district in the January 16, 2027 poll.

Ibeh maintained that the party’s youth and grassroots structures in Imo State do not recognise Okorocha as the authentic candidate.

He argued that Okorocha was absent from the senatorial primary election and did not participate in the mobilisation and electoral process across Imo West (Orlu Zone).

According to him, the senatorial ticket should be determined by the outcome of the party’s primary election rather than what he described as an attempt to secure political legitimacy through court proceedings.

The APC youth leader also faulted the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, which declared Okorocha the party’s candidate for the senatorial election.

He expressed confidence that the decision would be overturned on appeal.

Ibeh said the state chapter of the party was already taking the necessary legal steps to challenge the ruling and ensure that Uzodimma’s name is restored as the party’s candidate before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The youth leader further insisted that Uzodimma emerged victorious through a transparent primary election, which, according to him, witnessed substantial participation by party members across the local government areas in the Imo West Senatorial District.

He called on party faithful and supporters in the zone to remain calm, united and committed to the party while the legal process runs its course.

Ibeh also cautioned Okorocha against making statements or taking actions capable of threatening the prevailing peace and political stability in the state.

He stressed that the APC youth leadership remained committed to protecting what it described as the mandate freely given to Uzodimma by party members in Imo West Senatorial District, also known as Orlu Zone.

The dispute over the Imo West senatorial ticket has generated political tension within the Imo APC, with both camps maintaining different positions on the legitimacy of the party’s candidate.

While the Federal High Court ruling has strengthened Okorocha’s legal position, the Imo State APC leadership and its youth wing have indicated their determination to challenge the decision through the appellate process.

The final determination of the dispute is expected to rest on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.

October inflation could hit 3-year high of 7.1-8.1%

HIGHER prices of domestic fuel, electricity and transport fares could drive inflation in October to the fastest pace in three years and eight months, latest inflation forecast of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

In a statement on Friday, the central bank said it projects October 2026 inflation to settle within the 7.1 to 8.1 percent range.

‘Upward price pressures are likely to come from higher prices of domestic fuel, electricity, and transport fares,’ the BSP said.

These pressures, however, could be ‘partially offset’ by lower prices of key agricultural commodities, such as rice, vegetables, meat, and fish, owing to favorable supply conditions.

Should inflation in October hit the upper end of the central bank’s forecast range at 8.1 percent, this would be the fastest pace in the increase in the prices of goods and services since February 2023, when it reached 8.6 percent.

However, if inflation settles at the lower end of the range or at 7.1 percent, it would mean that inflation eased from the 7.2 percent in September.

In 2026, inflation peaked at 7.2 percent in April before easing to 6.8 percent in May, 6.4 percent in June, 6.2 percent in July and 6.1 percent in August. However, it peaked again in September-matching the 7.2 percent rate in April.

When the September inflation data came out, economists warned that the latest acceleration is becoming harder to pin solely on a few volatile items.

Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) economist Leonardo Lanzona earlier explained to this newspaper that inflation has become more ‘domestic-driven.’

University of Asia and the Pacific economist Marco C. Agonia agreed, noting that second-round effects are now emerging as inflation rises even in commodity groups without direct exposure to oil prices.

The sentiments of the two economists were echoed by Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera, who emphasized that inflation will be ‘harder to bring down quickly because the pressure is no longer confined to volatile food and energy prices.’

In earlier commentaries, bank economists warned that inflation is likely to accelerate further in the fourth quarter of 2026 and could peak in November.

No less than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said at its latest monetary policy stance briefing that the inflation rate could continue to increase in the last quarter of 2026.

‘Maybe just to describe it a little bit, if our average inflation forecast for 2026 is 6.1 percent, and then the actual numbers so far for the first nine months of the year is about 5.4 percent. So that means that the inflation rate could continue to increase in the last quarter of 2026. The last print is 7.2 percent. So there could still be some increase in inflation numbers for the coming months, as well as going into the early months of 2027,’ BSP Deputy Governor Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja said on October 22.

In its statement, the central bank vowed to remain vigilant and guided by incoming data, particularly on inflation and growth prospects.

‘It will continue to assess the impact of the latest developments in the Middle East on the country’s inflation and economic outlook,’ the BSP also noted.

The actual headline inflation rates for this year were the following: January, 2 percent ; February, 2.4 percent; March, 4.1 percent; April, 7.2 percent; May, 6.8 percent; June, 6.4 percent; 6.2 percent in July, 6.1 percent in August, and 7.2 percent in September, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

CDO authorities advise early cemetery visits to beat the heat

With tens of thousands expected to flock to usually congested cemeteries, local authorities here have laid down strict guidelines for this year’s ‘Undas’ or ‘Kalag-Kalag’ observance, banning overnight stays, liquor, and smoking while urging the public to dodge the peak daytime heat.

Visiting hours across all private and public cemeteries in the city will be strictly limited from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to maintain order.

City officials are implementing tighter crowd control measures to manage older public cemeteries that reflect decades of severe congestion and fragmented record-keeping. The Bulua Public Cemetery currently squeezes more than 10,000 graves into a three-hectare property, while the Carmen Public Cemetery holds roughly 5,000 interments within a compact two-hectare lot.

To prevent untoward incidents in these packed spaces, authorities have prohibited bladed weapons, firearms, playing cards, sound systems, and karaoke machines. Cleanliness will be strictly enforced, and smoking, vaping, and e-cigarettes are completely banned inside the premises.

With rising temperatures, the city is advising the public to monitor the state weather bureau’s advisory on the day’s heat index and avoid cemetery visits between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Special rules are in place for the city’s largest burial ground, the 19.8-hectare Bolonsiri Public Cemetery in Barangay Camaman-an. Recently redeveloped into the City Memorial Park, the site holds an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 remains, tens of thousands of which were recently exhumed and transferred to a centralized ossuary.

Visitors to the City Memorial Park are explicitly prohibited from bringing matches and lighters. Littering is also strictly banned, with violators facing immediate fines through an Ordinance Violation Receipt.

To help visitors cope with the heat across the sprawling grounds, the city has set up free water refilling stations inside the park and is urging residents to bring their own tumblers. Free rides using city hall vehicles will also be available from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 1 and 2.