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• September 2, 2025
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Abia: APC chieftain drags Otti to EFCC, ICPC over N54bn school renovation funds

An All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Abia State, Eze Chikamnayo, has dragged Governor Alex Otti to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, over the controversial N54 billion meant for school renovation in the state. Chikamnayo disclosed this while speaking with journalists on
Abia: APC chieftain drags Otti to EFCC, ICPC over N54bn school renovation funds

An All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Abia State, Eze Chikamnayo, has dragged Governor Alex Otti to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, over the controversial N54 billion meant for school renovation in the state.

Chikamnayo disclosed this while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

Apart from the EFCC and ICPC, Chikamnayo also asked the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Transparency International, and the World Bank to investigate the N54 billion budgeted for school renovation.

He said the failure or refusal to publish the list, location, contractors and pictures of the purported 51 public school projects for which over N54 billion was spent between the first and fourth quarters of 2024 by Alex Otti’s administration is indicative of systemic corruption.

According to him, it is alarming that despite such huge allocations and disbursements, and with almost two years gone, there is no single new smart school project anywhere in Abia state, as widely reported by the government.

“Furthermore, our fact-finding visits to many public schools in Abia State indicate that over 95 percent of them remain in a state of severe neglect—with dilapidated buildings, unfenced compounds, and an absence of learning and teaching equipment.

“These troubling realities stand in stark contrast to the said expenditure recorded in the State Government Budget Performance Report, which is different from other financial inflows recorded under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and various Federal Intervention Programmes.”

While calling on all anti-graft agencies and groups, civil society organisations and leaders of thought to demand accountability from Alex Otti’s administration, the group said, “Already, we have written official letters to the above bodies and other international organisations that specialise in basic education, demanding urgent intervention to rescue the state from any attempt by Mr Alex Otti to use education as a conduit pipe for misappropriation of public funds.

“In the interest of Abia State, Abia children and generations yet unborn, we have dragged the state government, under the Alex Otti-led administration, to all relevant anti-corruption agencies, locally and internationally.

“We have also written to the National Assembly, UNESCO, the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Education, and indeed watchdogs like Transparency International, Amnesty International and others for urgent intervention and sanctions where necessary.

“It is our hope that you will join us in our tireless work in promoting transparency and fighting corruption by lending your voice, platform and influence to ensure that justice is served and accountability is enforced in the governance of Abia State.”

Abia: APC chieftain drags Otti to EFCC, ICPC over N54bn school renovation funds

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Benue: Teenager dies from snake bite in IDP camp

A teenager simply identified as Chagu Terhemen, who was taking refuge with his parents at the Agagbe Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, has died of snake bite. The deceased, who was displaced from his village, Tse Abian in Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West LGA, was
Benue: Teenager dies from snake bite in IDP camp

A teenager simply identified as Chagu Terhemen, who was taking refuge with his parents at the Agagbe Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, has died of snake bite.

The deceased, who was displaced from his village, Tse Abian in Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West LGA, was said to be going to the farm last Friday with his father, Kyomke Mbapupuu, in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward when he suffered the attack.

Raising an alarm over the situation, a fellow IDP, Terna Ibaah, said that the boy’s parents had resorted to traditional treatment but there was no improvement in his condition which deteriorated Sunday afternoon.

“We are afraid of losing the boy; that is why we are raising the alarm because medical personnel only visit the camps between Monday and Thursday,” he said.

Reacting, the Information Officer of Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, Tema Ager, revealed that the agency had a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi where the victim could be taken for treatment.

He said, “If the victim is a registered IDP, he should be allowed to be taken for treatment at BSUTH. Benue SEMA has an MOU with the hospital where he can be taken for treatment immediately.

He told journalists that the victim was evacuated to the BSUTH on the orders of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management/State Emergency Management Agency, James Iorpuu on Monday, for treatment.

Benue: Teenager dies from snake bite in IDP camp

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• September 2, 2025
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2027: Jonathan legally eligible to run for president – Senior lawyer, Ubani

A legal luminary, Monday Ubani, SAN, says former President Goodluck Jonathan has the legal right to run for the 2027 presidential election under the provisions of the 1999 constitution. ​ Ubani made this known on Tuesday, while responding to questions in an interview on Arise Television. Ubani stated that his position was based strictly on
2027: Jonathan legally eligible to run for president – Senior lawyer, Ubani

A legal luminary, Monday Ubani, SAN, says former President Goodluck Jonathan has the legal right to run for the 2027 presidential election under the provisions of the 1999 constitution.
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Ubani made this known on Tuesday, while responding to questions in an interview on Arise Television.

Ubani stated that his position was based strictly on constitutional interpretation and judicial pronouncements and not on political preferences.

He said, “I want to say this, that my personal opinion, the legal interpretation of the eligibility of the former president clearly is not a validation. Whatever opinion that I express is not a validation of whether I want him to run for the presidency of Nigeria 2027.”

The senior lawyer further maintained that previous court rulings had affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility, stressing that the constitution does not restrict him from contesting.

While recalling Jonathan’s emergence as president following the death of former President Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, Ubani clarified that his initial assumption of office was not through an election but by constitutional operation.

The legal luminary further noted that Jonathan’s first elected term began in 2011 and that court judgments had consistently upheld his right to seek re-election.

2027: Jonathan legally eligible to run for president – Senior lawyer, Ubani

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FCT: Some judges still tenants, we’ll solve accommodation problems before 2027 – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said 80 percent of judges’ accommodation problems would be solved before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first tenure. Wike gave the assurance while lamenting that some judges still live in rented accommodations and are at the mercy of their landlords. Speaking during
FCT: Some judges still tenants, we’ll solve accommodation problems before 2027 – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said 80 percent of judges’ accommodation problems would be solved before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s first tenure.

Wike gave the assurance while lamenting that some judges still live in rented accommodations and are at the mercy of their landlords.

Speaking during the official flag-off of the construction of Magistrate Court Jabi in Abuja, the Minister decried the poor welfare of judges in the capital city.

He said the president is determined to provide an enabling environment for judges to facilitate the quick dispensation of justice.

Wike said: “My lord has been able to read out what the FCT Administration has been doing as regards the Justice sector. All we are doing regarding initiatives of Mr President must be executed or implemented by us.

“Mr President has always believed that you cannot have a total dispensation of Justice when the enabling environment just like when he came to Port Harcourt in 2023, before his celebration, by that time he was present-elect, he came and inaugurated the mindset complexes.

“He said we can’t talk about fighting corruption when you don’t provide an enabling environment for the judges and magistrates, when you don’t provide welfare for them, it will be very difficult.

“I have been going around and sometimes when I see where our judges and magistrates sit, it’s very embarrassing and then you still want them to deliver justices quickly. You need to provide a good learning environment, good offices, and good courts for them to be able to do that.

“Sometimes you see our justices are living as tenants and sometimes when they are not able to pay on time, they are at the mercy of the landlords. The landlord can use their cars to block the gates – you have not paid us – that can be embarrassing.

“Even where you are living, you don’t even know where criminals are, sometimes you are leaving with those criminals around, so how do you know, so how do you want to guarantee your life?

“Mr President has said that has to come to a stop and let me assure you that before the end of the first tenure of Mr President, we would have solved 80 percent of your accommodation problems in terms of housing.”

Wike also promised that 20 units of four bedroom duplexes would be handed over to the Federal High Court in June 2026 and during Tinubu’s third 30 units would also be given to the FCT High Court.

He added: “By the end of this year, we are going to handover 20 units of duplexes of four bedroom flat to the Federal High Court and by June next year, during the third anniversary of Mr President, we are also handing over 30 duplexes to the FCT High Court

“It’s not just here, if you are going to the Villa where you have the fire service station, there is another project ongoing there and then in Garki, so that it would accommodate a lot of our magistrates and they would be able to carry out their jobs the way they should.”

The Minister further disclosed that the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, is responsible for the building of public buildings in Abuja.

“It’s important that so many people would have criticized the government for providing accommodations and offices for the Judiciary.

“Let me say this clearly that FCDA is primarily concerned about public buildings in Abuja, most public buildings are built by the Federal Capital Development Authority. Be it INEC, Supreme Court you are seeing from here is also done by the FCDA,” he added.

FCT: Some judges still tenants, we’ll solve accommodation problems before 2027 – Wike