NIGERIAN NOTCH

…Urges Them To Support President Tinubu President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio,  has said that the local government areas are the foundation of democracy and any politician that ignores it, does so at his or her peril, explaining that councillors play an important role in the political system. He stated this on Thursday when he was invested as the Grand Patron of the National Councillors Forum of Nigeria in his office by the leadership of the Forum led by its chairman, Hon. Yusuf Shuaibu Babawapa. Akpabio told the Councillors that as leaders, who are closer to the people, their support was indispensable as they help those of them at the national level to take care of issues at the grassroots. The Senate President said he was delighted to be made the Grand Patron of the National Councillors Forum of Nigeria and pledged to work closely with them to put in place enduring laws for the development of the nation. According to him, “you are the people that are giving us

By Okechukwu Nwokoye Valentine Ozigbo, the Frontrunner in the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) gubernatorial race and the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc pictured at a town hall event for PDP delegates he hosted early in June 2021 at Emmaus House, Awka AWKA, Anambra — In an unfolding situation that appears to be deeply entrenched in political undercurrents, Valentine Ozigbo, a key figure in Anambra State, has declined a prestigious chieftaincy title. Initially scheduled for October 7, 2023, at the Anaocha Local Government Headquarters, Mr. Ozigbo was to be honoured with the title of “Enyi Oma Anaocha” at the Anaocha Festival (ANAFEST 2023) However, reports suggest that the event has become a hotbed for political tensions, with some elements attempting to capitalise on the occasion for their agendas. *The Trent* reached out to the organisers on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Hon. Dr. Tochukwu Obiadi, Secretary of ANAFEST 2023 and the Anambra State Yo

Valentine Ozigbo has through Chief Dr. Tony Offiah on behalf of VCO Organisation refuted claims by some quarters that he rejected or declined to the proposed conferment of Chieftaincy title by Anaocha communities.  In a press release made available to newsmen in Awka, Chief Offia said "We wish to inform the general public and all esteemed stakeholders about a recent development concerning the planned chieftaincy for Mr. Valentine Ozigbo by the Anaocha communities. "We want to clarify that on September 18, 2023, Mr. Ozigbo received a formal invitation to accept the esteemed chieftaincy title of "Enyi Oma Anaocha." This invitation was extended following prior discussions with some of the organisers." He stressed that the prestigious honour was scheduled to be conferred upon him by the Anaocha Traditional Ruling Council and the respected people of Anaocha on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Anaocha Local Government Headquarters, Neni. But he said that

Staff of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) have been charged to raise their benchmark to newer levels and work as a team to deliver efficient and quality service to its customers, as that is the only way customer affection can be achieved. This charge was made by the Managing Director/CEO, EEDC, Mr. Praveen Chorghade, while flagging off this year’s Customer Service Week (CSW), at the company’s corporate head office, in Enugu on Tuesday. CSW is a global event celebrated annually by service-oriented organizations. It provides them with an opportunity to celebrate their customers. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Team Service.” While delivering his remarks, Mr. Chorghade emphasized the importance of teamwork in every organization and the need for staff of the company to work together to deliver effective and quality service to customers. “As we celebrate this year’s Customer Service Week, let us raise our benchmark to newer levels and support each

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has rejoiced with Lieutenant General Alani Akinrinade (rtd.) on the occasion of his 84th birthday. Senator Akpabio, in a message endorsed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh,  described Akinrinade as an enduring icon in the struggle to keep Nigeria one. Noting Akinrinade’s role in keeping Nigeria as a nation bound in Unity, Faith , Peace and Progress, he said: “Your patriotism is seen in the heroic role you played in the fight for Nigeria to remain an indivisible nation. You did not, like some, walk away from the line of battle, but made the personal sacrifice in the quest to keep the fabrics of our statehood.” Recalling Akinrinade’s exemplary role as Chief of Defence Staff in subjugating the military class to civil rule during the Second Republic, Akpabio noted, “Your role as Nigeria’s number one soldier in espousing the doctrine of the subjugation of the military class to civil authorities is one th

Mr. Joseph Aloba, father of late Nigerian rapper, Ilerioluwa Olademeji Aloba, aka Mohbad, has demanded a DNA test on his grandson. Recall that Nigerians have been torn apart over calls for a DNA test on the late singer’s son, Liam, to ascertain his true paternity. While some are of the opinion that it was important to conduct a DNA test on the late singer’s son in the wake of allegations that his wife cheated on him, others argued that the calls for a DNA test on Mohbad’s five-month-old son were “insensitive.” However, speaking in a recent interview with BBC Pidgin, Mohbad’s father said a DNA test should be conducted on his grandson, stressing that it has become a global concern. He said, “This thing has become a majority thing, not only in Nigeria. So they should do the proper thing at the proper time.”

By Declan Emelumba CYNICISM is an age-long bane of the human race, but it is often the trademark of those described by the holy book as "men of little faith." In ordinary parlance, it could be the apt definition for "men who are bereft of vision and insight." Either way, it leads to the same end: such people are often thrown away by the prospect of new ideas, particularly the ones that jolt or beat human imagination. In my days as a student of political science, one of my lecturers in foreign policy repeatedly urged us to always think of the “unthinkable”. At the time, it sounded weird, but because he kept harping on it during his lectures, it dawned on me and my classmates that the lecturer made a lot of sense. When you think of the unthinkable, nothing will shock you. Thinking of the unthinkable is actually another way of dreaming big, beyond human imagination. It is about the power of positive thinking, which can shatter all barriers to progress. This

Organised Labour last night suspended its planned nationwide strike for one month following an agreement with the Federal Government. Though details of the Memorandum of Understanding suspending the strike, were sketchy at the time of this report, the agreement, Vanguard gathered, was reached very late at night. The meeting was reconvened yesterday for both government and labour to find common ground and avert the planned strike by organized labour to force the government to address the suffering and pains of Nigerians, occasioned by the petrol subsidy removal. Earlier yesterday, the National Executive Council, NEC, of NLC and its TUC’s counterpart, had met separately to review Sunday’s meeting with the Federal Government’s offers. Vanguard gathered that at the end of the separate NEC meeting, leaders of NLC and TUC set up a committee to harmonise their resolutions to arrive at common ground. According to the sources, the joint resolution of NLC and TUC was presented to the

Officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will meet today to consider the offers made by the federal government during intensive discussions between both parties in the ongoing dispute arising from the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), it was learnt last night. During a meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, several agreements were reached. Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has approved N35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months, following further consultations with the government delegation that met with the leadership of NLC) and TUC) earlier on Sunday. It would be recalled that at the meeting between both parties, the federal government pledged its commitment to expediting the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to alleviate the public transportation challenges triggered by the removal of the PMS subsidy. There is also funding sup

As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of its opera- tions for efficiency, the man- agement of BUA Cement Plc has announced that effective October 2, 2023, it has decid- ed to bring the price reduction forward. As a result, BUA Cement would now be sold at an ex-factory price of N3,500 per bag. The company in a statement said the essence is to allow Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of the price reduction before the completion of our plants. It said, “we refer to our previous pronouncements regarding our intent to reduce cement prices upon the com- pletion of our new lines at the end of the year in order to spur development in the building materials and infrastructure sectors. “Upon completion of the ongoing construction of our new plants, which would in- crease our production vol- umes to 17 million metric tonnes per annum, BUA Cement PLC intends to review these prices further in line with our earlier pronounce- ments by the first quarter