From CHARLES ONYEKWERE 

Abia State government said it has submitted a bid to acquire 60 percent of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company’s, EEDC, assets to boost power distribution in Umuahia, the state capital and other adjoining local government areas. 

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, said the move was part of efforts by the Governor Alex Otti-led administration to fast-track development. 

Kanu, who said negotiations for the 60 percent acquisition of EEDC’s assets had reached an advanced stage, added that the process of ring-fencing eight local government areas in Abia Central and Abia North is ongoing. 

Similarly, the commissioner announced that the state government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with MTN Nigeria for  digital transformation of the state covering six key areas. 

According to him, the strategic partnership between the state and MTN Nigeria is the outcome of several months of negotiations between Abia State government officials and the management of MTN. 

The commissioner identified the key areas as100 percent coverage of the population and space of the entire state with broadband access before the end of 2025; provision of 4G and 5G services in Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia; and a device ownership scheme for Abia civil servants (a situation whereby MTN will finance the acquisition of laptops, smartphones and Wi-Fi devices for civil servants). 

Others include digital governance (provision of cloud services and dedicated cloud computing service), establishment of Abia Digital Mall and the provision of a digital marketplace to drive both e-governance and e-commerce in the state. 

The commissioner explained that the partnership would help the state leverage technology to drive socio-economic growth. Contributing, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, announced that Abia  is among the pilot states for the Solar-for-Health-Power Project, an EU-sponsored project, which he said would be launched in a week’s time. 

According to him, the EU will bring 70 percent financing, amounting to N2 million euros, while Abia State will pay a counterpart funding of 30 percent.

He noted that the project, when launched, would light up a minimum of nine health facilities across the state. 

Contributing, the General Manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, Mr Ogbonnia Okereke, said the agency had commenced door-to-door collection of waste in some parts of Aba, Umuahia and street-to-street collection in some parts of Abia North. 

The initiative, according to him, is part of  efforts to keep the state clean, adding that it has elicited joy among residents and commendations from Abians in the diaspora. He added that ASEPA is on the verge of converting animal dung at  Lokpanta cattle market into biogas for roasting animals. 

The ASEPA boss said the initiative would become an alternative to the use of tyres to roast animals, as the practice has grave health implications. He also said that the agency had commenced recycling waste into other products. 

He noted that the abattoirs in Lokpanta and Uzuakoli had been renovated and reopened after they were shut down, following their poor hygienic conditions. “As ASEPA moves from waste conversion and recycling into a circular economy of waste as opposed to a linear economy, they have signed an MoU with a firm that possesses both international and extensive local experience in this area.

FROM RAHILA ABDULLAHI, KADUNA 

Group under the auspices of Nigeria Youth Forum, NYF, has raised  alarm over the worsening security crisis, warning that the country is drifting dangerously into a state of anarchy, as citizens continue to pay the price for government’s failure to act.

The forum, in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by its National President, Comrade Toriah Filani, described the ongoing killings in Benue, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno and Plateau States, alongside emerging terror-linked groups in Kwara State, as a coordinated assault on national stability.

The group outrightly rejected the security summit proposed by the National Assembly, dismissing it as a repetitive and ineffective measure that had never produced meaningful results.

“We have no confidence whatsoever in the National Assembly’s proposed security summit. It will amount to another round of talk shows and hollow communiqués. If the president had sacked just one GOC or commissioner of police over the atrocities in these states, others would have sat up by now,” Filani stated.

The group warned that Nigeria is bleeding and that those entrusted with protecting lives and property appear more concerned with political maneuvering than confronting the national emergency.

“Nigeria is bleeding while our leaders chase shadows. Every week, the country is plunged into fresh chaos and all we get are recycled press statements and condolence messages,” the group lamented.

To back its position, the coalition cited a recent BBC Hausa report, which revealed that no fewer than 3,610 Nigerians were killed by bandits and insurgents between January and March. 

According to the report, Niger State recorded the highest number of deaths with 631 persons killed, 251 abducted and 178 separate attacks. Zamfara followed with 585 deaths, 918 abductions and 250 attacks.

“In Borno State, 514 people were killed, 357 kidnapped and 397 attacks recorded. Katsina witnessed 341 killings and 495 kidnappings across 247 incidents, while Kaduna recorded 106 deaths and 128 violent attacks, Sokoto and Kebbi States also suffered 184 deaths collectively within the same period.

“Additional data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, put the total number of Nigerians killed within the past year at over 614,000, with 2.2 million abducted across the country. Similarly, figures from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, ACLED, analysed by Premium Times, revealed that between May 2023 and May 2024 alone, 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions occurred across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.

“The North West led with 1,475 deaths and 4,343 abductions, followed closely by the North Central which recorded 1,444 deaths, mostly from banditry, communal clashes and cult-related violence, along with 1,321 abductions. 

“In the North East, at least 819 persons were killed and 688 abducted from 408 violent incidents. The South South zone had 336 deaths and 295 abductions, while the South East witnessed 310 fatalities and 214 kidnappings. In the South West, 172 deaths were recorded alongside 225 abductions during the period under review. Another report from Beacon Consulting stated that 13,346 Nigerians were killed and 9,207 abducted in 667 out of the 774 local government areas between May 2023 and September 2024,” the report revealed.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the member representing Damboa, Gwoza and Chibok Federal Constituency of Borno State,  Ahmadu Jaha,  decried the resurgence of Boko Haram and ISWAP, revealing that insurgents now deploy weaponised drones more advanced than those in the  military’s arsenal.

“At one point, 22 of Borno State’s 27 local government areas were under terrorist control. If we fail to act decisively now, Nigeria risks the kind of collapse that befell empires like Rome, whose leaders ignored the threat until it was too late.”

The forum echoed its concerns, describing recent attacks in Uromi (Edo), Jos (Plateau), and parts of Kaduna as clear signs of an expanding warfront. It warned that what began as farmers-herders clashes has evolved into highly coordinated attacks by foreign mercenaries and well-armed bandit networks.

It cautioned that Nigeria risks descending into full-scale war if urgent and far-reaching actions are not taken immediately.

The group  noted that blaming indigenous Fulani communities for the crisis is misguided, stating that many of the attacks are carried out by foreign elements who have exploited Nigeria’s weak border control and institutional gaps.

It concluded by calling for immediate reforms within the security architecture, increased funding, deployment of modern warfare technologies and political will from the presidency to halt the country’s descent into chaos and equally advocated for more budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector as a means to reduce unemployment and curtail insecurity.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, to promote transparency, open governance, and accountability in Nigeria’s legislative processes.

The Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, made this known on Monday during the inaugural National Policy Dialogue on the Legislative Agenda of the House of Representatives.

Dr. Aliyu stated that the ICPC, as an anti-corruption agency, is pleased to align with the House on initiatives that foster open governance and transparency, stressing, “Mr. Speaker, we want to assure you that, on our part, we are open to working with the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, to deepen transparency and accountability in your legislative agenda. Our doors are open to policies that promote transparency and ensure that the masses receive the dividends of democracy.”

In his remarks, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, emphasized that the Policy Dialogue reflects a shared commitment to fostering parliamentary transparency, accountability, and a citizen-driven legislature.

The Speaker said, “From the outset, we pledged to regularly engage with Nigerians, report on our performance, and adjust our direction based on public feedback. Today’s dialogue is part of that commitment. It also serves as a prelude to the forthcoming Open NASS Week, during which we will open our doors to public scrutiny and present our midterm progress.

Continuing, he said, “The aim is not only to celebrate our achievements but also to critically examine areas needing improvement in the spirit of democratic inclusion,”.

The Speaker further explained that the 10th House’s legislative agenda was developed through extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments, Agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners. These engagements produced a comprehensive roadmap to guide legislative work from 2023 to 2027.
According to him, the House took deliberate steps to align its legislative priorities with the “Renewed Hope” agenda of the Tinubu-led administration, ensuring synergy between the legislature and the executive.

“Our agenda promotes collaborative governance through constructive engagement with the Executive. This enables us to fulfil our independent mandate while aligning our legislative efforts with national priorities and addressing the critical needs of our citizens,” he added.

The Speaker said that the agenda encompasses eight broad priority areas, including strengthening good governance, enhancing national security, revitalizing the economy, reforming legal frameworks, and advancing social development, noting that “It also champions inclusion through an open Parliament, guides foreign policy in line with national interests, and addresses environmental and climate sustainability”.

He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to maintaining the highest transparency, inclusivity, and accountability standards, adding that, “We will uphold the same spirit of legislative courage that has brought us this far—the courage to enact necessary reforms for our nation’s progress, even when difficult,”.

Other keynote speakers at the event also expressed their willingness to partner with the House of Representatives to support robust legislative frameworks that promote inclusivity and good governance.