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  News   File Image A police inspector from the Rapid Response Squad and three civilians, including a teenage girl, were killed when gunmen attacked a police patrol team in Aba, Abia State. It was gathered that the gunmen, operating in a Toyota Sienna minibus, opened fire on a police patrol team along Mosque Street by Ngwa Road on Sunday. Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday evening, the spokesperson for the command, ASP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, said the operatives repelled the attack, killing two of the gunmen while others escaped with bullet wounds.   Chinaka said that in the ensuing exchange of gunfire, three civilians were killed by stray bullets from the assailants.   The statement read, “Today, July 21, 2024, at about 1128hrs, police operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Aba, Abia State Command, while on patrol along Ngwa Road by Mosque junction, Aba, were attacked by armed men assailants in an ash-colored Sienna vehicle.   "The armed men opened fi

  Opinion   WHERE ARE GOVERNOR OTTI'S N2.9BN HOSPITALS? By Eke O Ako for Ekcon Consults | #NwokeukwuMascot Photo: Abia Multi-Specialist Hospital built by Ikpeazu’s Administration | Alex Chioma Otti. Governor Alex C. Otti started well in the health sector by repainting & re-equipping the Abia State Diagnostic Centre Umuahia. He went on to carry out the same exercise on the long-abandoned Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba (ABSUTH). Before recovering the hospitals, he launched a free medical outreach in July 2023. As shown in the graph below created from data from Abia Government published quarterly budget implementation reports, Governor Otti spent a total of N2.9bn on capital projects under the Ministry of Health, between the 9 months of July 2023 and March 2024. Out of this sum, N875m was used to repaint and re-equip the Diagnostic Centre and ABUSTH; although analysts believe that the cost of remedial works on the two hospitals are on the very high side, considering

  Opinion   My First Hand Experience in Abia and the white lies of Governor Alex Otti by Dr Emmanuel Obia | #NwokeukwuMascot File Image I just returned from a month long vacation in Nigeria. I spent most of my time in my home state of Abia. This visit was an eye-opener. The visit offered me an insight into the social economic situation in Abia under the administration of Dr. Alex Oti. In recent months, we have been inundated in the forum with propaganda videos and pictures purporting to elaborate work, Dr. Alex Oti is doing in Abia."Truth be told, the real story is that Dr. Alex Oti has managed to hoodwinked Abians and Nigeria to believe that he is doing a good job in Abia. My conviction will not allow me to withhold the truth when I see it. Socrates, "unexamined life is not worth living. Let me offer you a critical analysis of situations of things in Abia under the leadership of Dr. Alex Oti, the Governor. Abia state is now the most expensive state in Nigeria to live in. As

  News   LG AUTONOMY: Senate Introduces Bill for Local Government Electoral Autonomy | #NwokeukwuMascot File Image Details have been released on the new bill the Senate introduced on Thursday seeking to create an independent electoral body charged with the responsibility of conducting local government council elections. The bill with title,“Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 531)”, was sponsored by the  Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Sani Musa, (APC, Niger-East). The bill partly states, “To establish the National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) responsible for conducting elections to the office of the Local Government Chairman and Councillors, and any other matter thereof to do with local government as a third tier of government. “The National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission (NILGEC) is hereby established as an autonomous body mandated to organize, oversee, and conduct elections for

  News   Governor Otti’s N11.26 Billion Expenditure on Security: An Examination of Nine Months in Office | #NwokeukwuMascot File Image  Governor Alex Otti, in his initial nine months in office, embarked on several initiatives aimed at enhancing the security of Abia State. Despite Abia being relatively stable compared to neighboring states and the broader national context, these initiatives reflected a proactive approach to public safety. Recall that the state governor had embarked on various security initiatives. In August 2023, Governor Otti launched "Operation Crush," a multi-agency anti-crime security task force. The launch was marked by the donation of 20 Toyota Hilux patrol vans. In October 2023, the governor revoked the residential status of the Lokpanta cattle market due to increasing public safety threats in the Uturu and Lokpanta areas. Earlier, in June 2023, Governor Otti banned revenue collection touts in the state. By August 2023, a harmonized task force (AHARET)

  News   Ngwa Rangers Commend Lawmakers' Proactive Response to Aba State Creation Bill | #NwokeukwuMascot File Image In a significant development, the Ngwa Rangers, an organization representing the collective interests of the Old Aba people, has praised federal lawmakers for their proactive response to the call for the creation of Aba State. This commendation came in the form of a press statement signed by the group's Publicity Secretary, Mr Kingsley Ihesiaba. Recall that we had previously reported that the bill for the creation of Aba State, raised by three House of Representatives members , has passed its first reading in the National House of Assembly in Abuja. The statement, titled “Ngwa Rangers Applaud Proactive Response of Federal Lawmakers to the Call for Aba State Creation,” highlights the organization's appreciation for the lawmakers' swift action. It emphasizes that the creation of Aba State is not merely a matter of administrative convenience but a crucial s

  News   Labour union leaders and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu  Leaders of the organised labour, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have confirmed that they have accepted the N70,000 minimum wage offered by the Bola Tinubu-led government. It would be recalled that Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information, had told State House correspondents that the president announced the offer at a meeting with the labour leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Thursday.   Speaking after the meeting, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the unions had accepted the offer. Flanked by Comrade Festus Usifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other representatives of Nigerian workers, who attended the meeting, Ajaero said the unions agreed to the offer because of other incentives attached.   He said another reason for accepting the offer was because the president promised a review every three years as against what obtain