President Bola Tinubu has said that Abia remains essential to the economic development plan of the federal government, hence its investment in the state.

Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi said this while addressing Abia residents during the inauguration of seven roads in Aba on Friday.

He thanked Abia people for coming out enmass to welcome him, saying that the gesture showed their love for him, the governor, and ongoing infrastructure development in the state.

He said that the inaugurated roads, including Gabriel Nwosu Road, Ajiwe Road, Pepple’s Road, Ndoki Road, Umuatako and Ohanku Roads as well as Port Harcourt Road, had restored Aba’s lost glory.

The president also said that Abia’s importance in Nigeria’s economic development plan is the reason the government is completing the Umuahia – Aba Expressway, costing N66 billion.

He also said that 14 kilometres of the 49-kilometre Umuahia – Ikot Ekpene Road had been completed, while the remaining 35 kilometres had been handed over to Otti “on his request to complete”.

He said that the Lagos – Calabar coastal highway would intersect with the Umuahia – Ikot Ekpene Road at Akwa Ibom, which would ensure access to Lagos in five hours from Abia.

The president further said that the government had completed 50 kilometres of the highway, consisting of one full carriageway and half, which is part of the Ikot Ekpene – Aba Road, costing N65 billion.

He said that work would soon start on the second carriageway.
He said that the 43-km Aba – Port Harcourt dual carriageway has had one part completed, which would also ensure residents reached Port Harcourt in 30 minutes.

Tinubu also spoke on his reforms, saying that they were beginning to yield gains with foreign reserve hitting N42 billion and inflation coming down to below 20 per cent.

The minister assured the people that the president would come in person before the end of the year, saying that he could not make the trip for the road inauguration due to the exigencies of duty.

Earlier, Gov Alex Otti thanked the federal government for assisting in the restoration of Aba as an industrial and commercial city.

Otti said that after the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road in Aba, the city had regained commercial patronage from neighbouring states.

He also said that the restoration of Aba pointed to the gains of collaboration among different tiers of government, pointing out that post-election politics need not be an obstruction to governance.

He appreciated Umahi as the Works minister, who took interest in improving the federal highways across the country, according to the president’s development vision.

Otti also thanked the president for his interest in matters of socioeconomic development of Abia and the war against insecurity.

He acknowledged that economic indices were improving and resulting in the released of funds for investment and thanked the president for his reforms.

The president had, earlier in Umuahia, inaugurated the renovated and retrofitted Okpara Auditorium and commended Otti for “turning the edifice into a sight of beauty”.

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt the demolition of houses belonging to igbos in Lagos.

Kalu made the appeal on Friday, in a speech at a reception held at the Enyimba International Stadium in honour of Tinubu after he had inaugurated some projects in Abia.
He also appealed to the president to approve the construction of another seaport in the South East to enhance development.

“Mr President, we want to thank you for what you are doing in our state through our governor and what you are doing around the South East.
“But I must say it is about time that we had another sea port in the South East;
South Easterners are mainly traders and
We need a seaport to enhance our trading.

“I also want to say that the destruction and the demolition of the houses, the offices of our brothers in Lagos, makes our hearts bleed,” he said.

Kalu pleaded with the president to speak with the Lagos State governor to allow the Igbo people whose houses have not been destroyed already to regularize their documents.
He said that destruction at this time of hardship makes the hearts of victims bleed, stressing that the need for an amicable resolution rather than destruction of property.

Kalu said governance is about partnership, hence the state must partner the federal government, and the federal government must partner the state.
He said that although he is an All Progressives Congress (APC) party member, it is his character to support the governors of his state to ensure the state succeeded and promised to support Alex Otti to succeed.
“I have gone with him from the morning, visiting all the projects till this evening, and I have seen the state’s projects carried out by the governor, and for that, we commend him.
“But as a member and citizen of this state, I request, like Oliver Twist, that the governor should do more,” he said.

He thanked the president for his assistance in the projects in Abia and urged the Abia Information Commissioner and media houses in Abia to accord Tinubu his merited credits.
Kalu said this would induce the president to do more for the state and the South East which he had shown love to.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde, on Saturday, said that the state’s vision for emergency management was to move from being reactive to becoming preventive.

The commissioner said this on the sidelines of the ongoing National State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) Conference 2025 holding in Lagos.

Oyerinde said: “We don’t want to continually be in a cycle of emergencies. The next stage is to identify risks early and prevent untold incidents.

“Emergency management must start from the grassroots. It is not about massive resources but about showing capacity and engaging communities from the local level upward.”

The National SEMA Conference, which started on October 2, will end on October 4, 2025.

It is a gathering of emergency management stakeholders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

These stakeholders are to chart a coordinated framework for disaster preparedness and resilience across Nigeria.

The conference has the theme, “Strengthening Sub-national Emergency Management for a Resilient Nigeria.”

Oyerinde expressed gratitude to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for enabling Lagos to host the landmark event.

“This opportunity to host the National State Emergency Management Conference in Lagos has been an awesome learning experience.

“The second day focused on practical demonstrations of emergency practice, giving other states the chance to learn from Lagos’ model.

“We want to assure residents of our readiness to be preventive rather than reactive.

“We are giving this assurance through Mr. Governor, whose commitment to safety has inspired all of us,” he said.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, commended the governor and the political leadership of the state for their unwavering support.

He said: “We give kudos to Mr. Governor for his political will and ownership of the emergency management agenda.

“Special appreciation also goes to the Commissioner for Special Duties for always providing the political umbrella under which we operate.

“Most importantly, I salute our first responders, who work tirelessly, 24 hours a day, often risking their lives to safeguard others.

“Their dedication is the true backbone of our emergency system.”

He stressed that Lagos was not only safeguarding its own citizens but also sharing its knowledge and experience with other states.

“Nigeria can now see Lagos sharing its journey from small beginnings to today’s robust system.

“This is the spirit of collaboration that will strengthen resilience nationwide.”

NAN reports that the Lagos State Government demonstrated practically its search and rescue/recovery operations at the ongoing National State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) Conference 2025.

The maiden national conference brought together emergency stakeholders nationwide to witness firsthand how Lagos has institutionalised best practices in disaster preparedness and response.

The simulation exercise held at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Relief Centre, Igando, was dedicated to holistic, hands-on emergency drills, ranging from rescue operations to disaster simulations.

The exercise was designed to share lessons with other states and strengthen inter-agency collaboration across Nigeria.

The conference, jointly organised by NEMA and LASEMA, has emphasised grassroots preparedness, risk reduction and proactive strategies as central themes.

It continues to provide a national platform for knowledge exchange, innovation and building a unified approach to emergency management across Nigeria.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan said he thought the Boko Haram insurgency would end during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan made the disclosure at the public presentation of SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and The Boko Haram Conundrum, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor, at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, on Friday.

Reflecting on the insurgency that defined much of his presidency, Jonathan said his administration devised several ways to curtail the insurgency, but with little success.

He explained that during one of the processes aimed at getting the terrorists to surrender, the insurgents nominated former President Buhari as their preferred negotiator.

Jonathan admitted that with such developments, he believed Buhari’s presidency would eventually bring an end to the insurgency.

He said, “One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.

Jonathan added that he had hoped that, were that to have led to a dialogue when Buhari later became president, it might have been easier to secure a surrender. “But the insurgency still persisted,” he noted.

Recalling earlier efforts, Jonathan referenced the processes he supported as vice-president under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua that helped end militancy in the Niger Delta. He said the persistence of Boko Haram demonstrated the complexity of the crisis.

He said, “If you conduct research and interview many people, you will only get part of the story, but never the full story of Boko Haram. I was there. Boko Haram started in 2009 when I was vice president. I took over in 2010 and spent five years battling the insurgency until I left office.

“I thought that after I left, within a reasonable time, General Buhari would wipe them out. But even today, Boko Haram is still there. The issue of Boko Haram is far more complex than it is often presented.

“So, it’s a bit complex, and not a matter of a single story. But I believe, as a nation, we have to look at the Boko Haram issue differently from the conventional approach. I believe one day we’ll overcome it. Once again, let me thank General Irabor for this, because I always appreciate people who document events clearly. That way, when we write our own accounts, we can borrow from such documentation.

“I also believe that all the military officers involved in the Boko Haram saga should provide information about what the group truly stood for.”

Jonathan also said the issue of Boko Haram was beyond hunger, adding that his administration employed so many strategies, but they did not work.

He said, “If it was only about hunger—because we tried different options—I don’t want to sound like I’m defending my government. That will be left for history when we document our books.

“But I believe we did our best: we set up different committees and tried various approaches during the five years I was in office. I believe the late Buhari, too, must have tried his best.

One of the major scars on my government is the scar of the Chibok girls. It is a scar that will die with me,” Jonathan said. “I pray that, perhaps one day, the leaders of this group will be literate enough to write a book or come out to tell Nigerians what Boko Haram was all about.”

He said that in efforts to tackle the insurgency, which began before his presidency in 2009, his administration set up several committees to explore options for peace. “During one of such processes, the insurgents put forward Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with government,” he said.

Jonathan urged the current administration to consider a mix of incentives and pressure in addressing the insurgency. “The issue of carrots and the stick may be adopted,” he said. “If it was only about hunger — because we tried different options — I don’t want to sound like I’m defending my government, but I believe we did our best: we set up different committees and tried various approaches during the five years I was in office.”

He also questioned the source of the group’s weapons and ammunition, suggesting external involvement. “Where are these guns and sophisticated weapons coming from? You begin to see that external hands are also involved,” he said.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has dissolved the Board of the Rivers State Microfinance Agency set up by the former Sole Administrator of the state during the emergency rule era.

The governor also announced the immediate appointment of Pastor Jonathan Tobin as the Acting Managing Director of the Agency.

A statement signed by the Head of Service of Rivers State, Dr. Inyingi S. Brown, and made available to newsmen announced the dissolution of the board and the appointment of the acting Managing Director.

The statement further requested members of the defunct Board to hand over all properties and assets of the Board in their possession to the Acting Managing Director of the Agency.

The statement further explained that Governor of Fubara will in due course reconstitute the Board.

Here is the full statement:

The Rivers State Governor hereby announces the dissolution of the Board of the Rivers State Microfinance Agency and the immediate appointment of Pastor Jonathan Tobin as the Acting Managing Director of the Agency.

Consequently, members of the defunct Board are by this notice advised to hand over all properties and assets of the Board in their possession to the Acting Managing Director of the Agency.

His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS, will in due course reconstitute the Board.

Dr. (Mrs ) Inyingi S. I. Brown
Head of Service
Rivers State.

A peace-building organisation under the aegis of ‘Search for Common Ground,’ has tasked media practitioners to abide by the ethics of their profession and ensure that their reportage positively impacts the society.

The call was made yesterday at a two-day training for journalists on “Conflict Sensitivity Reporting and Digital Media Peace building,” organised by Common Ground Journalists Forum in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists and Step Up for Women in Journalism Initiative, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

During her presentation on “Common Ground Media Content for Behavioural Change,” Folashade Seye-Ojo urged the participants to move away from just informative journalism to solution driven and developmental journalism.

Seye-Ojo, mass media and information officer at Search for Common Ground, advised the journalists to avoid negative stereotypes or blames and steer clear of complex language or technical terms that can cause conflict in the society.

She, however, urged that media professionals must, through their reportage, stimulate behavioural change towards peace building.

Earlier, Seye-Ojo disclosed that Search for Common Ground is fostering inclusive community-based approaches to transforming criminality and violence in the Niger Delta region.

In his presentation titled, “Journalism and Ethics,” Publisher of The Atlantic Bell, Mr. Celestine Ogolo said that in order not to contribute to the collapse of the country, journalists must be conscious of social responsibility, be accurate, and objective in their reportage

According to Ogolo, “Objectivity, fairness and accuracy are professional ethics expected to be upheld by the media in achieving good governance, sustainable development and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.”

He urged the participants to factually inform the people so that the government and the people could work in the same direction.

He stressed that “We must take responsibility for our work, correct mistakes promptly and recognise that credibility is the profession’s most valuable asset.

“As the internet and digital media usage becomes increasingly widespread, it is a matter of strategic necessity for information gatherers and managers to fashion out practical strategies in the engagement of the various interest groups to abide by the code of ethics of the journalism profession”, Ogolo advised the participants.

At the training that Mr Sunny Dada, Mass Media and Information Manager of the Search for Common Grounds, helped participants broaden their understanding on the role of perception in communication and reportage.

Also, the Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the NUJ, Mr Paul Bazia, admonished the participants on the need to be positive change agents in the society and not influence crises through unfounded reportage.