Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

By Elder Abraham Amah On Friday, October 3, 2025, Abia State was filled with anticipation. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was scheduled to visit on the invitation of Governor Alex Otti to commission what the state government had described as landmark projects. The invitation was not just ceremonial; it was meant to serve as a symbolic endorsement of a government eager to display its achievements, and a federal administration willing to celebrate the results of its bold economic reforms. It was an opportunity for both leaders to showcase the dividends of a historic fiscal shift—particularly the removal of the controversial fuel…

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for approving the establishment of Police Detective College in Bende, Abia State.  The appreciation followed the signing into law of the bill to provide a legal framework to regularize the existing police training institutions and for the establishment of new ones sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abdulhamid Mallam- Madori in the Senate. Kalu who lamented that Abia does not have one lobbied extensively for the State to be included in the list…

Nigeria’s biggest refinery, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has dismissed claims that it imported petrol with dangerous levels of sulphur into the country. In a strongly-worded statement issued on Friday, the refinery said it has never imported finished Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol; with high sulphur content. The company described the reports as “false, malicious, and misleading,” and clarified that the shipment being referenced is actually an intermediate feedstock, not petrol ready for consumption. Intermediate feedstock is a type of semi-processed fuel used in refineries as a raw material for producing finished products like petrol or diesel. According…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially approved the establishment of a Police Detective College in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, marking a major milestone for security training and national development. This approval follows consistent advocacy and legislative efforts by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and member representing Bende Federal Constituency. The new Police Detective College is expected to enhance police intelligence, investigation, and community policing capacity in Nigeria — while bringing massive infrastructural and economic benefits to Bende and Abia State.

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…