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Ebonyi governor, Francis Nwifuru has said he was shocked over recent insinuations on the social media that he travelled abroad to attend to a health condition.

The rumours of the ill-health of the governor had caused palpable anxiety among some people in the state with many expressing worries over the governor’s wellbeing.

Speaking on Thursday, Nwifuru said he was shocked over the rumours his illness while on a recent official trip abroad.

The Governor spoke during the 65 Independence celebration and 29th year of Ebonyi’s creation in Abakaliki.

He said even his father was perturbed and called him to ask whether all was still well.

Contrary to the rumours, Nwifuru insisted that he was hale and hearty while on the foreign trip.

He attributed the rumours to what he described as the misrepresentation of his meekness to be weakness.

‘We have given people lots of privileges, but do not push a man to the wall.

‘I was, however, encouraged with the fact that if you are not important, no one will talk about you,’ he said.

Nwifuru counseled people especially youths not to take his calm, unique but resolute disposition for granted.

‘This does not mean that we cannot bite but I don’t want us to start biting.

‘When you see a man that is calm, be careful of him.

‘When I recall my rough road to where I am presently, I decide to take things easy,’ he said.

He reeled his administration’s achievements since assuming office in 2023, reiterating his determination to meet all objectives in his people’s charter of needs mantra.

‘Ebonyi has a lot to celebrate at 29 years and I thank our former governors and leaders of the state for keeping the state together since 1996,’ he said.

Former Governors of the state, Sen. Sam Egwu and Chief Martin Elechi in their remarks, thanked Nwifuru for effectively steering the state’s affairs in the people’s benefit.

The state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha among other stakeholders also congratulated the governor, while pledging their unalloyed support to his administration.

The governor inspected a guard of honour to mark the celebration, presented staff of offices to new traditional rulers in the state among other engagements.

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Monday Okpebholo, has charged Nigerians on the need for unity and teamwork to achieve the purpose of independence.

He gave the charge on Wednesday, in a speech he delivered to mark the nation’s 65th Independence Day anniversary.

He noted that every October 1 reminds Nigerians ‘of the sacrifices of our founding fathers, who fought with courage and vision to give us a free nation’, adding that it is a day of pride, reflection, and, above all, renewed hope.

‘Independence is not only about freedom from foreign rule. It calls for unity and teamwork in order to maximise the opportunities that come with freedom. We must always remind ourselves that we can achieve more if we come together as Edo people,’ Okpebholo said.

Addressing the children and youths, the Governor who described them as the heartbeat of this State, charged them not to give in to despair.

‘Do not give in to despair. Your energy and talents are the key to our future, and this government will continue to invest in you.

‘My message today is simple: A New Edo Has Risen. A New Nigeria Has Risen. Together, with courage and dedication, nothing can stop us,’ he concluded.

The Cross River chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected claims of the National Working Committee’s (NWC) on the legitimacy of its recent state congress.

The PDP NWC had in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, faulted claims that a state congress has been held in Cross River.

Ologunagba described any such exercise as ‘hallucination’ and insisted that the process had been formally postponed by the NWC.

But in reaction, the Publicity Secretary of PDP in Cross River State, Mr Mike Ojisi, in a statemen issued in Calabar on Wednesday asserted that the congress conducted on Sept. 27 was duly authorised, monitored and attended by all party leaders and structures in across the state.

Ojisi said it was supervised by a panel constituted by the party and monitored by relevant authorities, including electoral umpire, INEC, the Police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

‘The said Congress was duly monitored by all duly constituted authorities including the INEC team of observers which was ably led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner himself, The Police and Civil defence,’ he stated.

He questioned the legitimacy of a purported National Working Committee (NWC) meeting that claimed to have taken a decision against the Congress.

He said that congresses do not hold at the ‘whims and caprices’ of the NWC or when the National Publicity Secretary says so.

‘A purported social media chat between five members of the NWC cannot constitute a National Working Committee of the Party, talk more of taking such a fundamental decision,’ Ojisi said.

He challenged the national leadership to disclose the venue, date, and approved memorandum of such a meeting.

Ojisi reiterated the party’s commitment to its ideals and loyalty to legitimate decisions taken in accordance with extant rules.

‘As law abiding party members we remain committed to the ideals of the party remaining loyal to all legitimate decisions of the Party taken in accordance with extant rules guiding the process towards taking them,’ he said.

‘No Congress’

Recall that Ologunagba, who also serves as secretary of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) said Cross River was one of the states where the state congress was shifted after due considerations.

‘For emphasis, there was none. There was no congress in Cross River State for the PDP, because it has been postponed, along with that of Plateau and Kebbi,’ Ologunagba declared.

He dismissed reports that party members gathered in Calabar for a Congress, saying such an event bore no legitimacy.

‘All these processes, particularly the setting up of an electoral panel, have not happened,’ he said.

Asked if the party would sanction organisers of the alleged exercise in Calabar, Ologunagba replied: ‘for anybody who has brought this party into disrepute, we know what to do.

‘There’s a constitution. We all subscribed to be members, and we swore to obey it. Enough is enough.

He added that the NNWC will constitute a Caretaker committee who shall run the affairs of the party in Cross River for some time.

‘Currently for Cross River, the South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee will be overseeing the affairs of the chapter as earlier directed by the NWC,’ he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on state governments and local councils to play an active role in consolidating the country’s reforms, stressing that nation-building must be a shared responsibility across all tiers of government.

The President, in his Independence broadcast to the nation, acknowledged the temporary pains citizens had endured due to economic reforms but insisted that they were necessary to prevent national collapse.

‘Fellow Nigerians, I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains. The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern to our government.

‘However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos or bankruptcy was not an option. Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain. Together, we are laying a new foundation cast in concrete, not on quicksand,’ he said.

Tinubu explained that the true measure of success would not be found in abstract figures, but in tangible improvements in daily life.

‘The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone, but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities.

‘Let me assure you of our administration’s determination to ensure that the resources we have saved and the stability we have built are channelled into these critical areas. Today, the governors at the state level, and the local government autonomy are yielding more developments,’ he noted.

Turning his message into a rallying call, the President urged sub-nationals to actively complement federal efforts in driving productivity and innovation.

‘On this 65th Anniversary of Our Independence, my message is hope and a call to action. The federal government will continue to do its part to fix the plumbing in our economy. Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise.

‘In this regard, I urge the sub-national entities to join us in nation-building. Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes,’ he declared.

Reiterating his faith in the resilience of Nigerians and the country’s vast potential, Tinubu appealed for unity of purpose.

‘Finally, let all hands be on deck. Let us believe, once more, in the boundless potential of our great nation. With Almighty God on our side, I can assure you that the dawn of a new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria is here,’ he said..

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has described corruption as Nigeria’s biggest stumbling block to development, even as the nation marked its 65th Independence Anniversary on Wednesday.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Debo Adeniran, CACOL congratulated Nigerians for their resilience in sustaining democracy and nationhood despite decades of misrule.

However, the group lamented that the country’s story since independence had largely been one of ‘squandered opportunities, stunted growth, and unfulfilled potential.’

‘Since 1960, Nigeria has been blessed with abundant human and material resources, yet cursed by successive governments that have failed to manage them prudently. Corruption has remained the major albatross to our national development,’ Adeniran said.

The organisation pointed to how nations like Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, which gained independence around the same period, have become economic powers, while Nigeria remains trapped in underdevelopment due to entrenched corruption.

CACOL listed the fallout of corruption as insecurity, poverty, infrastructural decay, unemployment, and an economy in perpetual crisis.

It cited a string of scandals ranging from fuel subsidy fraud to pension scams, arms procurement diversions, and the looting of COVID-19 palliatives as evidence of systemic rot.

The group called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight, demanding stronger independence for the EFCC, ICPC, and the judiciary, as well as the prosecution of corrupt officials without political bias.

It also urged that recovered loot be channelled into education, healthcare, infrastructure, and job creation.

‘True independence is not just about lowering the colonial flag. It is about liberating citizens from oppression, deprivation, and corruption,’ Adeniran stressed.

CACOL added that Nigerians themselves must take responsibility by demanding accountability from leaders and refusing to glorify looters.

‘Nigeria at 65 must not continue to crawl when others are running. If we confront corruption with seriousness, our nation can still rise to greatness,’ the statement read.

Programme Director of the Bureau of African Labour, Human and Democratic Rights (BALHADER), Comrade Uchenna Uzoije says the moribund Southern Star Shipping and its successors- Flour Mills Nigeria Limited, Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited and their subsidiaries are still owing over 305 Nigerian Seamen deducted salaries, over half a century after.

Uchenna made this shocking revelation during a press briefing on Monday 29 September 2025 at the Akporo Community Hall, Ajegunle Apapa, Lagos.

While delivering his speech, entitled: ‘Over Half A Century Unlawful Deduction of Salaries of 305 Seafarers By NAT Scheme of Greece’, the human rights activist said all efforts to obtain justice for the hapless long-suffering ex-workers were yet to be fruitful.

Comrade Uchenna stated that the Bureau had written to the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), Mr. Steven Cotton, urging his intervention to recover the unlawfully withheld pension contributions deducted from salaries of the 305 Nigerian seamen by Southern Star Shipping Company between 1977 and 1982 under the Greece’s NAT scheme.

The Comrade said, though Southern Star Shipping was moribund, her successor, the Flour Mills of Nigeria, who acquired the assets and liabilities of the company should naturally take responsibilities over the entitlements of the acquired company employees.

Uchenna said: ‘Apapa Bulk Terminal operating berths 1-5 was financed by Flour Mills Limited making them equally culpable. Therefore, the numerous

denial by the Company Secretary of Apapa Bulk Terminal that their company has no business with the 305 Seafarers is totally a false statement aimed at misleading the general public.

‘Southern Star Shipping was incorporated in 1947 by Mr. George S. Cumantaros, with current address as 1370 Avenue, New York. The current President is Mr. John Coumantaros (since 2009) who succeeded his late father. In January 2025, Mr. John Coumantaros’ acquired all minority shareholders of Flours Mills making him the controller of the company.

‘The Apapa Bulk Terminal which operates Berths 1-5 of Lagos Port Complex is 100% owned by Flour Mills Nigeria Limited.

‘Also, the post-August 1978 Presidential Decree in Greece 913/1978 explicitly abolished coverage for thirdcountry nationals, making continued deductions legally unauthorized.

‘The question begging for an answer is why have the owners of Southern Star Shipping, Flour Mills, Apapa Bulk Terminal failed to remit the deducted wages in US dollars to these 305 Seafarers till date?’

Comrade Uchenna added that so far, a total number of 39 Seafarers have died and that 5 of them are critically ill as at the time of the press briefing.

He wondered how Mr. John Cumantaros and his management team were able ‘to sleep at night knowing fully well that their actions have in no small measure brought untold hardship and untimely deaths to these seafarers. The ill treatment of 305 Seafarers is ongoing despite being members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).’

He said that the concerned employers seemed to be getting away with the impunity because they were the ones who imposed the union leaders upon MWUN which he regarded as a violation of convention 87.

Testifying at the press briefing was Comrade Monday Young Jack, a Patron of BALHADER, stated that he worked with Southern Star Shipping for many years and that despite all appeals to the successor company to refund his wages deducted under the guise of NAT scheme of Greece, nothing has been done.

He used this medium to plead to well-meaning Nigerians to intervene by appealing to the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Thompson Oludare to have compassion on him about his salaries account and fixed deposit account with Heritage Bank that are already taken over by the NDIC.

‘I visited the NDIC Lagos office a total of 32 times in 2024. They always told me to come today, come tomorrow. BALHADER also wrote the former MD, Mr. Bello Hassan whose office promised to intervene. Up till now, nothing has been heard from them.

‘I served our fatherland for 54 years! Why am I being treated like nobody?’ The old man lamented.

Another member of the group, Comrade James Anoyomoh, clarified the situation concerning whether they were full time employees of Southern Star Shipping or not, as it was a contentious issue in the reply of the Company Secretary of Apapa Bulk terminal.

Comrade James stated that they were all full-time staff most of who, after seamen, worked in other subsidiaries owned by Cumantaros.

Comrade Francis Agbogbo, a member of the Professional Seafarers Association of Nigeria (PSAN), commended the ITF for the steps taken so far at seeing that justice prevails for them. He explained that the ITF recovered over $57 million in unpaid maritime wages in 2023 through its global network of 125 plus inspectors across over 100 ports in over 50 countries, demonstrating concrete enforcement capabilities applicable to pension recovery claims.

He admonished his colleagues not to lose hope that their plight shall end in praise.

The press briefing came to an end as the Labour coalition called for a speedy action from the ITF and other international bodies so as to compel Flour Mills Limited, Apapa Bulk Terminal and their subsidiaries to refund the deducted salaries of all the 305 seafarers.

In attendance at the conference were members of BALHADER executives, representatives of Over5000 Maritime Workers, representatives of PSAN and concerned Nigerians.

A fire outbreak at Bariga Market early on Wednesday, destroyed 26 keeklamps shops, causing property losses worth millions of naira.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:05 a.m., according to a preliminary report from Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

The fire, which started in one shop, rapidly spread to adjacent outlets due to wooden frameworks supporting and partitioning the keeklamps shops.

Despite the scale of the blaze, no lives were lost, and no injuries were reported, says Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary, LASEMA.

He said emergency responders, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos Rapid Response Unit (LRU) paramedics, and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), collaborated to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the market.

‘Authorities also ensured the scene was managed to prevent secondary incidents and coordinated with market stakeholders for smooth operations,’ Oke-Osanyintolu said.

The preliminary report confirmed that the fire has been fully extinguished, and dampening down operations were completed. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

Officials have urged traders to implement fire safety measures and remain vigilant to prevent future incidents, noting that the rapid response helped avert a potentially larger disaster.

The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to scale up immunisation across all communities, rallying council chairmen, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders to ensure wider vaccine coverage and stronger primary healthcare delivery.

Speaking at the inauguration of the State Task Force on Immunisation and Primary Health Care Services held on Tuesday in Alausa, Ikeja, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who chairs the committee, said the task force was designed to ensure that no child in Lagos is left unvaccinated.

Hamzat commended the immunisation teams for their work over the years but stressed that the campaign must extend to underserved communities.

‘We want our religious leaders to use their sermons to inform people about the potency of the vaccine. We equally want our schools to be aware of their role in ensuring that students are duly vaccinated,’ he said.

He added that effective collaboration with stakeholders across the health sector is essential, assuring that the state government would increase budgetary allocation to strengthen primary healthcare services for optimal delivery.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, underscored the urgency of scaling up coverage, warning that weak primary healthcare inevitably results in sickly communities.

‘The world has advanced to produce very effective vaccines that eliminate infections such as hepatitis, cervical cancer through HPV, and malaria, among others. For Lagos State to improve uptake, our services must improve-covering infrastructure, equipment, and human resources for health,’ he explained.

Permanent Secretary of the Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ibrahim Mustapha, reaffirmed government’s commitment to accountability and inclusiveness.

He said the task force would drive improvements in routine immunisation, strengthen system resilience, and enhance collaboration between government and private actors.

On behalf of council chairmen, the Chairman of Conference 57 and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Hon. Sesan Olowa, pledged the unwavering support of all council bosses for the campaign.

Mustapha concluded that the ultimate goal was to ensure ‘no one is left behind in accessing life-saving vaccines and essential health services.’

The Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE) has condemned in strong terms the brutal killing of Somtochukwu ‘Sommie’ Maduagwu, a news anchor with Arise News Television, who was reportedly murdered by suspected robbers at her residence in Katampe, Abuja.

In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Femi Oyewale, NASRE described the incident as ‘barbaric and senseless,’ noting that the slain journalist was a promising professional whose life was cruelly cut short.

‘Her death is not just a personal tragedy to her family, colleagues, and friends, but also a huge loss to the Nigerian media and to the nation at large,’ the association said.

The editors’ body urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime and ensure they face the full weight of the law. It warned that failure to bring the killers to justice would embolden criminals and further endanger the lives of citizens.

NASRE also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to step up efforts in protecting life and property across the country.

‘Citizens cannot continue to live in fear within their homes and communities. The government must match words with action by strengthening intelligence, policing, and prosecutorial mechanisms that deter such violent crimes,’ the association stressed.

While commiserating with Maduagwu’s family, her colleagues at Arise News, and the broader media fraternity, NASRE prayed for her soul to rest in peace and demanded that justice should not be delayed.