Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
Commuters, residents and community members of Nnentu Ngwa (Nnentu Ama Isii) who are majorly occupying the lengthy and dilapidated Ohabiam-Umuebeke Road are currently crying , weeping, and lamenting over the deplorable condition of their major road. They are equally crying over the excruciating experiences they have been having on the road, stressing that it is unfortunate that their son, Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, has been unable to do something about the road. They have therefore pleaded with the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti to please use the same means he has been…
The Bende South State Constituency (Ikwuisii) Traditional Rulers Council has declared its unwavering support for the third-term re-election bid of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu. The royal fathers who made their position known during a meeting with the Deputy Speaker led by the Chairman of the Council, Eze Uchendu Okorie, Ekwo II of Akaekwo Uzuakoli, Bende, went further to dismiss claims of an existing zoning agreement being circulated by some vested interests. A statement signed by Udora Orizu, SA Press Affairs, to the Deputy Speaker, said that…
The Government of Abia State has condemned what it termed the brutal killing of a Nigerian citizen of Abia State origin, Mr Chika Ibe, from the Lokpaukwu Umunneochi Local Government Area by officers of the South African Police Service in Cape Town on Wednesday, July 23, 2026. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to Governor Otti on Media and Publicity, said that disturbing videos circulating online show police officers assaulting Mr Ibe, with one officer allegedly using a polyethylene bag to repeatedly suffocate him until he died. He said that the circumstances surrounding the operation are still under investigation, but what is…
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has commended the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, for the speedy approval of Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) for two federal tertiary institutions in Bende Local Government Area. DrumAfricanews reports that the two institutions are the Federal College of Education, Bende, and the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item, Bende LGA. DrumAfricanews reports that that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June, 2025 assented to the bills sponsored by Kalu to establish the two institutions in Bende. Kalu noted that the approvals will accelerate the take-off of the…
The Commissioner for Works, Ralph Nwosu, today assured a delegation from Umuaka Community in Njaba LGA of immediate action to re-channel the floodwater to protect pupils of Umuaka community primary school and residents. He gave the assurance when he received a delegation from Umuaka Community in Njaba LGA led by Hon. Chief Ozioma Worship, Member representing Njaba Constituency. The delegation also included the APC Chairman of Njaba LGA, Chief Chukwudi Egeuka, and other stakeholders. Presenting their requests, Hon. Worship commended Governor Hope Uzodimma’s developmental strides and appealed for urgent intervention on two issues: the stormwater threatening Umuaka Primary School and…
In politics, every leader eventually arrives at a defining moment, a moment when speeches, promises and political slogans are no longer enough. At that point, only one thing matters: the scorecard. For Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CFR, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member representing Bende Federal Constituency, that moment has arrived. As conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections gradually gather momentum, one document has quietly become one of the strongest political statements in Bende. It is not a campaign poster. It is not a press release. It is not a political attack. It is a…
The Ebonyi State Government has warned that it may terminate all delayed two-kilometre rural road projects across the state’s three senatorial zones after several contractors failed to complete the projects within the agreed timelines. The Commissioner for Special Projects, Ngozi Obichukwu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists in Abakaliki after a meeting with contractors handling the ongoing 2km rural road projects. Obichukwu said the meeting focused on assessing project progress and addressing concerns about prolonged delays experienced by many contractors. She said the state government would no longer tolerate unnecessary delays and stressed that contractors handling the affected projects…
The Enugu State Government has commenced a Continuous Survey Revalidation and Digitisation Exercise as part of the ongoing Survey Records Digitisation Programme, aimed at establishing a fully digital, transparent and verifiable land administration system in the state. The exercise, according to the government, is a key component of the digital transformation of the state’s land and survey records system and is designed to protect property rights, eliminate disputes arising from lost or defective records, and strengthen public confidence in land administration. It also forms part of the comprehensive digital transformation agenda of the Governor Peter Mbah administration. The government, in…
A grassroots political pressure group, the Umuahia Political Forum (UPF), has unanimously adopted the Abia APC governorship candidate, Chief Eric Opah, as its sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election. The decision was reached during the group’s enlarged executive meeting held on Saturday, 25th July, 2026. The forum comprises members from different walks of life, including pensioners, traders, commercial bus drivers, farmers, artisans and other grassroots stakeholders. According to the group, its members played an active role in supporting Governor Alex Otti during the 2023 governorship election after holding several engagements with him before the polls. However, the forum said…
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has reacted to Thursday’s runway incident involving the state-owned airline, Enugu Air, at Benin Airport, empathizing with the passengers and crew members over the traumatic experience. Mbah, in a statement he personally signed, commended the aviation authorities for immediately initiating an investigation into the incident, saying that, for Enugu Air, safety remained non-negotiable. In the statement made available to newsmen on Friday, the governor said, “The Enugu State Government is aware of the runway excursion incident affecting Enugu Air, Embraer E170, Flight 4264, operating until the Benin Airport from Lagos on Thursday,…