I am committed to making Southeast great again-Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that his administration is committed to making the Southeast great again.

The President who was conferred with the traditional title of Udo Kpu Eny? 1 of Abia, by the leadership of the Abia State Traditional Rulers Council for what he is doing in the state, the Southeast and the country, stated this yesterday during a state visit to Abia State.

Tinubu spoke at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state during a civic reception organised in his honour by the state government.

The President, represented by the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi restated the commitment of his administration in helping the sub-nationals to be viable.

He listed some of the projects he has done in the Southeast, including ensuring the completion of the ongoing reconstruction of the Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, among others, as part of the federal government’s intervention in opening up development and boosting economic activities in the region.

The President who noted that Abia among other states has gained so much from the removal of oil subsidy, noted that Aba was regaining its lost glory through the impact of the leadership of the state governor, adding that Abia remains important in the economic development of the country.

The President stated that the economy of the country is gaining momentum under his watch with the increase in the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and decrease in inflation rate, affirming that the worst economic situation of the country is over.

He promised to help Abians to take back their state, thanking the Southeast governors for their unity in supporting his administration.

Speaking, the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe thanked Mr. President for his numerous interventions in the region, and begged for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

On his part, the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu in his speech appealed to the President for the establishment of a seaport in the Southeast to further enhance business and economic activities in the region.

Kalu who commended Gov. Otti for the job he has done in the state, however, asked that the governor should do more.

The Deputy Speaker also frowned at the attitude of many state governors who refuse to give credit to President Tinubu for providing the resources that they are using to execute majority of the projects that they (govs) are carrying out in their states, adding that if the President didn’t make such funds available for the governors, they may be struggling to govern their states.

He also frowned at the recent demolition of shops and buildings of some Nigerians and Igbos in Lagos State by the Lagos State government.

He further called for dialogue and regularisation of house or property documents by the state government, rather than the continued demolition of such properties.

In his speech, the host governor, Alex Otti while thanking the President for honouring the invitation to commission some of the state and federal government’s projects in the state commended President Tinubu over the developments that have been recorded under his administration, including some of the economic development agenda (removal of fuel subsidy, and among other harmonization policies) that have positively impacted the economy of the country.

Otti equally thanked the President for giving Abians the opportunity to serve in his government and begged for a functional Southeast and South-south rail line and sea ports to boost trade in the region.

Otti, who thanked the President over his interest in the peace and security of the state, disclosed that he and other Southeast governors were equally in close discussion with the President on the release of the detained leader of IPOB.

Some of the projects commissioned by President Tinubu during the visit include 6.7km Port Harcourt Road (dual carriage road of 3 lanes each with drainage), Ohanku Road, Ndoki Road, Ajiwe Street, Umuatako Road, Chief Nkoro Street and Spurs, Abayi, Aba and Gabriel Nwosu Street respectively.

Pipeline security firm sponsors medical outreach for A’Ibom communities

An oil pipeline security firm has sponsored a three-day intensive community health outreach programme for natives of five communities in Onna local government area of Akwa Ibom state.

The firm, Seadove Generale Surveillance LTD, which operates in Onna, Mkpat Enin, Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Esit Eket local government areas began the outreach yesterday at the Primary Health Centre in Abat, headquarters of Onna council area.

The programme is implemented by a non-governmental organization, Voice of Community and Environmental Rights Initiative with approval from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health.

Patients were tested and treated for various ailments including eyecare, surgery among others.

Godwin Ekpo, executive director business and strategy, Seadove Generale Surveillance LTD, said the company intends to provide free medicare and other human capacity initiatives to it’s host communities as part of it’s community social responsibility (CSR).

Ekpo said that the medical outreach in Onna, the first by the company, targets at least 900 beneficiaries, adding that the programme will be done every quarter until it goes round all it’s host communities.

‘We are a private pipeline security company. We also provide marine, drilling, logistics services and other services in the oil and gas sector.

‘On the medical outreach programme, our target is 900 beneficiaries. For the three days we intend to attend to 300 persons each day. So far for today we have an overwhelming turnout of people. Also we targeting to carry out at least 40 surgeries.

‘We just started operations in Onna and for us we want to give back to our host communities as part of the company’s CSR. Health is very important so we thought it wise to give it back to the 38 communities within the 5 local government areas we operate in.

‘We decided to start with Onna and it be done every quarter until we cover the 38 communities where we currently operate. We have a five-year programme’, he said.

The chairman of Onna local government area, Kufre Umoren thanked the firm for the free medical outreach for indigenes of the council area.

Umoren added that the programme aligns with Governor Umo Eno’s commitment and investment in the health sector as encapsulated in his ARISE Agenda.

The village head of Ikot Ntuen, Eteidung Ubong Ekanem while appreciating the company for it’s gesture urged natives to avail themselves of the programme.

Arresting terrorists’ suppliers

Obviously, food is important to terrorists because it energises them. Therefore, it makes sense to arrest people who supply food items to them, and also seize food items being transported to them.

The Chief of Military Public Information Office, Lt. Col. Kamarudeen Adegoke, said in a statement that personnel of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), on October 11, intercepted 466 bags of food items, comprising 364 bags of beans and 102 bags of corn. They also arrested ’40 terrorist logistics suppliers’ on a suspected supply route in an operation against terrorist activities in the Lake Chad region, he stated.

He added that troops of 68 Battalion on a joint patrol with the Civilian Joint Task Force in the Mallam Fatori- Bandamari- Bari – Korarawon area, discovered and confiscated 12 bags of fish and nine donkeys allegedly used to carry supplies to terrorists in the Lake Chad basin region.

There are questions that demand answers. For how long have the arrested alleged suppliers been transporting food items to terrorists using the suspected routes? Why were they not caught before now? What will happen to them after their arrest?

Notably, the police, last year, had accused some arrested terrorism-related suppliers of criminal conspiracy. There is no doubt that such suppliers help terrorists to sustain their criminal activities. The fight against terrorism should be not only against terrorists but also those who aid them.

Such arrests should be a means of gathering intelligence that would advance the country’s fight against terrorism. It is not enough to arrest suppliers. Such arrests should lead to the capture of terrorists.

In a case that grabbed the headlines last year, the Force Intelligence Bureau -Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT) arrested members of a group that allegedly supplied drugs, bread and other food items to bandits operating in Zaria, Kaduna State and its environs.

They were apprehended at the Rigachikun base following a tip-off, and revealed that they usually supplied bread to bandits at Galadimawa, Damari, Kidandan and Awala camps in Birnin Gwari and Giwa local government areas, Kaduna State. One of them said they also supplied information to bandits which helped their kidnapping and cattle rustling operations.

Bakery owner Hassan Magaji, who was arrested, said: ‘The boom in my business began when I started supplying bread to bandits.’ He had an agreement with them that they would pay upfront for their bread supplies, and he made good profit doing business with them. ‘They started with bread worth N20, 000 and gradually increased it to N50, 000 a day,’ he said, adding that he made as much as N150,000 a week ‘after removing the cost of the ingredients.’

Nothing was heard about the food suppliers and their criminal customers after the report. There have also been reported arrests of suppliers of arms to bandits. Even, in one striking case, a housewife identified as Maryam Abubakar, in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was arrested for allegedly supplying women, including her daughters and nieces, to bandits in Galadimawa forest to satisfy their sexual needs. Lamentably, these arrests led nowhere.

The point bears repeating: It is pointless announcing the arrest of terrorism enablers, whether they are suppliers of drugs, food items, weapons or sex, if such arrests lead nowhere. Arresting suppliers should not be an end in itself, but should be a means to an end, which is the arrest of those who receive the supplies.

The large number of bags of beans, maize and fish seized from suspected suppliers recently can be said to suggest a great number of terrorists. Fighting terrorism must go beyond arresting suppliers. They should be tried and penalised. But ultimately, terrorists should be caught, prosecuted and punished.

PDP Crisis: Anyanwu’s Role Limited To Taking Care Of Diesel, Parking Space – Ologunagba

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said there could be a misconception of roles in the party, but there is no crisis.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja at the weekend, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has no power to summon any meetings as his functions were limited to administrative and taking directive from the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagun.

Ologunagba, who was reacting to two letters written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Damagum and Anyanwu, explained that the constitution of the party makes it clear that, ‘there shall be a National Secretary, who shall be the chief Administrative and Accounting officer, two roles, and they’re specified, whose functions are to supervise the day to day activities of the party. So, if there is no diesel in the office, he should take care of that.

‘If the parking spaces are not organized, he would say ‘hey, this place is dirty go and make sure it is painted’.’

Ologunagba added that Anyanwu is saddled with the responsibility of the correspondences, ‘that is paperwork, correspondences of the party and course to be issued, notices of meetings. So the chairman will say, I’m summoning this meeting, go and issue the notice.

‘The secretary cannot call a meeting. He cannot summon a meeting and until we understand that, we continue to wallow in this level of ignorance or deliberate falsehood, that is not there. So that is his job, keep or course to be kept all records of proceedings, that is minutes. I was a company secretary, legal advisor of a bank. I can’t call the meeting. The MD or the Chairman of the bank will say, come convey a meeting, that is summoning.’

Speaking on the misunderstanding within the National Working Committee, NWC, Ologunagba said, ‘When you don’t have it, you don’t have it. Ensure the implementation of the decision, this is important, ensure the implementation of the decisions and directives of the National Convention, NEC, National Caucus, National Working Committee and ensure that all units of the party carry out their duties promptly and efficiently.

‘For instance, if the National Working Committee passes a resolution, and the National Public Secretary, for instance, is expected or directed to issue a resolution, issue a statement, it is the duty of the Secretary to ensure that those directives are carried out.

‘So the Secretary cannot, and in any event, cannot summon and cannot even issue a press statement. He cannot. So I’m saying, when people have this inflated impression about their capacity to do certain things, again, it is for us to have a conversation and draw attention so that we don’t get confused by that.

‘Secretary is the chief administrative officer? Yeah, he deals with correspondences, with day-to-day activities to ensure that the office is run well. If you need, like I said, stationeries, we go to him. He approves it. If there are correspondences, he ensures that is done. If there are directives of any of the organs of the party, as secretary, he ensures that those directives are carried out.

‘So that explains the two letters you’re talking about. As to whether there’s crisis in the party, there’s none. There’s absolutely none. There could be a misconception of role. There could be a misconception of activity. But again, like I said earlier, when you are in a position of authority, what is expected is a level of caution and responsibility and so our party is fine. We’re good and there’s no issue when it comes to all that and that’s why I took my time to explain.’

Omisiore joins Osun governorship race

Iyiola Omisore, former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has joined the 2026 governorship race in Osun State.

Omisore made his intention known in a post on his official X handle, on Saturday.

‘My beloved people of Osun State, After deep reflection and wide consultations, I have decided to formally declare my intention to contest for the Governor of Osun State in 2026 under our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).’

‘This declaration will take place on: Date: Tuesday, 7th October 2025 Time: 10:00 AM Prompt Venue: Osun State APC Secretariat, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo Our journey is guided by the theme: ‘Fix the Broken, Restore Our Dreams.

‘I believe strongly that together, we can restore hope, strengthen governance, and deliver a brighter future for every son and daughter of Osun. This is not just my mission, it is a collective one. I humbly invite you to join me as we take this bold step towards the Osun Rescue Mission 2026.’

Omisore, a former Deputy Governor of Osun, contested against Rauf Aregbesola, in 2014, but lost.

He contested that election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and got full backing of then President Goodluck Jonathan who planned to use Osun as an inroad into the South West ahead of the 2015 election.

Like Omisore, Jonathan also lost the 2015 election.

Jonathan: I Never Said Buhari Had Any Connection With Boko Haram

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said his comments on the role of President Muhammadu Buhari in Boko Haram crisis was misrepresented.

Jonathan said this while responding to the backlash which trailed his speech at the book launch of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lucky Irabor.

In a statement signed by Ikechukwu Eze, his spokesman, Jonathan said, ‘The attention of the Office of Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been drawn to misleading reports circulating in sections of the media suggesting that Dr. Jonathan alleged that Boko Haram nominated the late President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to represent them in dialogue with the Federal Government, and therefore this made him somehow complicit in the Boko Haram crisis.

‘We wish to make it abundantly clear that the former President’s comments were grossly misrepresented. At no time did Dr. Jonathan suggest, imply, or insinuate that President Buhari had any connection with Boko Haram or that he supported the group in any form.

‘Dr. Jonathan’s remarks, made in the course of a broader discussion on Nigeria’s security challenges, were meant to illustrate the deviousness and manipulative strategies employed by Boko Haram in their early years.

‘His reference was to a well-documented episode when various individuals and factions falsely claimed to represent the terrorist group and purported to name prominent Nigerians as possible mediators: without those individuals’ knowledge or consent.

‘The point Dr. Jonathan sought to make was that Boko Haram, in its characteristic deceit, often invoked the names of respected public figures to sow confusion, exploit political divisions, and undermine public confidence in government. His comments were therefore an illustration of the group’s duplicity, not an accusation against the late former president or any individual for that matter.

‘The former president’s position was that if indeed Buhari was their choice negotiator, why didn’t Boko Haram expeditiously bring their evil terrorist agenda to an end when the retired General became president?

‘For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Jonathan recognizes that President Muhammadu Buhari, like every patriotic Nigerian, stood firmly against terrorism and was himself a target of Boko Haram violence. Both men, during their respective tenures, shared a common commitment to restoring peace and stability to Nigeria.

‘The Office of the Former President therefore urges the public to disregard any misinterpretation of his remarks. Dr. Jonathan remains committed to peace, unity, and the strengthening of democratic values in Nigeria. He believes that the nation’s progress depends on a truthful understanding of its challenges, not on the distortion of facts for political or sensational purposes.’

ABU at 63: VC Decries Brain Drain, Aging Infrastructure

The Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, has decried loss of talented staff to better opportunities within and outside the country.

Speaking at a press conference to mark the 63rd anniversary of the institution in Zaria, Prof. Ahmed lamented that aging infrastructure and poor renumeration have dampened staff motivation, noting how the University lost nearly 2,000 staff in the last five years.

He said currently, the institution is in dire need of a replacement and additional staff to strengthen its research and academic activities.

‘Presently, there is a particular programme run by the University whose staff are 95 percent professors.

‘This development may risk non-accreditation of the programme in subsequent time and result to shortage of mentees who will take over from the existing high caliber staff.’ he noted.

The Vice Chancellor, who identified funding constraint as a serious problem affecting institutional operation, said the situation has compressed capacity for infrastructure renovation, library acquisition and research support.

Prof Ahmed, however, highlighted the University’s plans to strengthen Distance Learning and contribute meaningfully to inclusive education.

‘We shall strengthen the Distance Learning Centre (DLC), the largest in Nigeria, to increase the pace at which education is taken to every home, ensuring that no family is left behind.

‘In this way, ABU will not only expand access but also contribute meaningfully to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), especially in inclusive education and reducing inequality.’

The Vice Chancellor challenged alumni community of the University to give back to the institution through endorsement gifts, annual giving and generous donations to secure its future.

Prof Ahmed also applauded the commitment of the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu for its bold reforms across the economy and the education sector in the country.

Halt demolition of Igbo houses in Lagos, Deputy Speaker tells Tinubu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the demolition of properties owned by Igbos in Lagos State, saying the exercise has brought pain at a time many Nigerians are struggling.

Speaking during the commissioning of projects in Aba, Abia state, Kalu urged the president to prevail on the Lagos state government to stop the demolitions and allow affected owners to regularise their documents.

‘Mr president, I also want to say that the destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos makes our hearts bleed,’ Kalu said.

He appealled to the Lagos State government to continue to accommodate those yet to obtain their documents.

According to him, ‘For some of them who have not gotten the right documents, my plea to you is to appeal to the governor of Lagos state to keep accommodating our brothers.

‘Allow them to rectify their documents instead of destruction. Let them come into the room, find a way, and regularise some of these documents. It bleeds our hearts that houses are being destroyed in these hard times’, he added.

The Lagos State Government had recently demolished plazas at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo Local Government Area.

The exercise was carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.

Earlier in the week, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, visited the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) section of the market with lawmakers including Enyinnaya Abaribe and Victor Umeh.

Obi faulted the exercise, insisting that the structures had valid approvals.

But Lagos Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, said the buildings lacked approvals and were unsafe.

He stressed that the demolition was not targeted at Igbo traders.

’Political Funeral’, Atiku Slams Tinubu Over Plateau Visit

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State.

President Tinubu was in Jos, Plateau State capital, on Saturday for the burial of Mama Lydia Yilwatda Goshwe, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.

Reacting in a post on his official X handle on Saturday, Atiku described the visit as a political funeral which afforded the President an opportunity to ‘celebrate and make merry with his party elite.’

He said, ‘With large swathes of the country still under siege from unrelenting insecurity and thousands of innocent lives lost, it is deeply unfortunate that President Bola Tinubu has not, for once, found it worthy to visit any of the affected states to commiserate with the grieving citizens.

‘Today, however, the President suddenly remembered Plateau State, one of the most terrorized parts of the North Central, not to share in the people’s pain, but to attend a social event under the auspices of his party’s national chairman.’

Atiku also noted that the President’s decision to attend the event showed his lack of empathy for the victims of insecurity in some regions of the country.

‘It is a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership that while families in Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, President Tinubu chose to grace a political funeral rather than stand with the people in their darkest hour.

‘Between the APC National Chairman and his President, what we witnessed today is a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life.

‘From Benue to Niger and most recently Kwara, the entire North Central region has endured some of the most horrific waves of violence in recent history. Yet, not once has the APC-led government deemed it necessary to physically stand by the victims or console their families.

‘Even when Tinubu made a symbolic visit to Benue State in June, he never bothered to set foot in Yelewata, the epicentre of the massacre. Instead, he ended his trip comfortably in Makurdi, turning his back on the people whose tears and blood still stain the soil.

‘Now again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate and make merry with his party elite while the people mourn.

‘The message could not be clearer: this is a President who would rather feast than feel-a leader who finds pleasure where the people find pain.

‘The Nigerian people are watching, and they will remember. -AA’

Iconic Open University Set Up Southern Nigeria Headquarters, Unveils Tower as Lagos Study Campus

Iconic Open University officially announce the setting up of the Proposed University’s Study Campus in the heart of Lagos, as its southern headquarters in the Nigeria’s economic capital and the most vibrant commercial-hub city in Africa.

This is a testament to the university’s unwavering commitment to bringing education closer to people – right where they are. As one of the fastest-growing universities, Lagos is indeed a melting pot of innovation, knowledge, and economy, and It is only befitting that Iconic University joins its landscape to offer quality, flexible, and nationally recognized education to people across the region and beyond.

Iconic Tower stands fit alongside other Nigeria’s famous business towers in the Lagos Island where the likes Union, UBA, WEMA and banks are headquartered. The Lagos Study Campus located within the Lagos Island, a central region that strategically link the mainland and other parts of islands. The facility stand still as an elegant tower, painted in the blue and white color signatures of the Iconic University as a beacon of knowledge, excellence, and innovation. This reflects focus on modernity, accessibility, and a streamlined academic experience to our students and prospective enrollees.