Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Leader of the 7th Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council and Councilor representing Osokwa Ward, Hon. Victor Ngwakwe, has lamented the growing hardship, frustration, and anger among residents at the grassroots level, blaming the situation on the alleged lack of access to local government funds. Ngwakwe, who spoke passionately about the plight of councilors and constituents in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, described the condition as “depressing,” noting that local government representatives are overwhelmed by public demands they lack the resources to meet. “The grassroots suffer because the local government runs without funds. There’s a lot of pressure coming from our constituents…

Leader of the 7th Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council and Councilor representing Osokwa Ward, Hon. Victor Ngwakwe, has lamented the growing hardship, frustration, and anger among residents at the grassroots level, blaming the situation on the alleged lack of access to local government funds Ngwakwe, who spoke passionately about the plight of councilors and constituents in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, described the condition as “depressing,” noting that local government representatives are overwhelmed by public demands they lack the resources to meet. “The grassroots suffer because the local government runs without funds. There’s a lot of pressure coming from our constituents…

Rotimi Oyekanmi, former Chief Press Secretary to ex-INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has come out swinging against a viral report claiming staff of the electoral commission sang a funeral dirge to mock Yakubu’s exit from office. In a sharp rebuttal issued from Abuja, Oyekanmi described the claim as “pure mischief” peddled by what he called “haters masquerading as journalists,” insisting the scene at INEC headquarters was one of praise and appreciation; not mourning. The false narrative, which first surfaced on Sahara Reporters, painted Yakubu’s farewell as a gloomy send-off. But Oyekanmi says that’s far from the truth. “The visible show…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the Federal Government for making a last-minute appeal to stop its planned warning strike. Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, described the government’s approach as “too little, too late.” According to him, the union had shown enough patience, but the government had once again failed to act until the eleventh hour. “We met in Sokoto and agreed to give them three more weeks. Those three weeks came and passed – not even a courtesy call from the Ministry of Education. It was silence until…

Tensions are rising in Abia State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown its full weight behind the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, over his recent outcry against alleged financial mismanagement by the Labour Party-led administration of Governor Alex Otti. Kalu, speaking at two separate events; the commissioning of a road project in Aba on October 3rd and a town hall meeting in Umuahia on October 5th – questioned the transparency of Otti’s government, claiming that despite receiving over ₦1 trillion since taking office, the administration has little to show for it. The…

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has signed a ₦695 billion supplementary budget into law – a move seen by many as a strong push to fast-track development across the state. The signing happened on Wednesday during the October edition of the Project Delivery Meeting at the Government House in Uyo. With this budget now into law, the governor wasted no time in backing it up with action. He announced the immediate release of ₦60 billion to contractors handling key infrastructure projects, particularly those with ready Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs). This fresh injection of funds is expected to breathe…

Residents of Umuezenta, Umuelenwa, and Okpuala villages in Mbawsi, Isiala Ngwa North LGA, have raised serious allegations against the Abia State Government over what they describe as fraudulent handling of compensation for lands acquired for the proposed Abia Airport Project. The communities say they are being short changed and ignored, despite their lands being bulldozed to make way for the ambitious infrastructure. During a media briefing on Tuesday, local leaders showed journalists around the proposed airport runway site, revealing deep grievances ranging from lack of proper agreements to suspected name-swapping in the government’s compensation list. In what appears to be…

Geoffrey Nnaji, the now-former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has come forward to explain why he abruptly stepped down from President Tinubu’s cabinet – and according to him, it has nothing to do with guilt. In a strongly worded statement released shortly after his resignation was confirmed by the Presidency, Nnaji made it clear: his exit was not an admission of wrongdoing but a personal decision to defend his reputation and allow the administration stay focused. “These attacks are politically motivated,” he said. “They’re meant to distract not just me, but the important work of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope…

Members of the House of Representatives will this week debate a motion seeking urgent medical intervention for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The decision followed an intervention during Tuesday’s plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu,CFR who in reaction to a point of order raised on the subject matter by the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha, notified the House that it will be properly presented for hearing within the week. Aguocha had raised a point of order, (order 6 rule 2 on matters of privilege), stating…

It was far from business as usual on Tuesday inside the green chamber of the National Assembly as a heated face-off broke out between Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Rep. Obi Aguocha from Abia State. The Abia lawmaker had raised a point of privilege, drawing attention to a letter he sent back in August to the Speaker, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and President Bola Tinubu. The letter was a call for urgent medical intervention for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in custody since June 2021. According to Aguocha, the letter has been…