News
Owunari Emerges 9th VC Of UNIPORT
After years of bickering and intrigues, the ninth vice chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt has finally emerged.
He is a medical doctor and Professor of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt UNIPORT, Prof Georgewill Owunari.
Georgewill emerged winner in a keenly contested selection process, which saw no fewer than 12 eminently qualified candidates jostling for top job at the university.
He was former Deputy Provost of the College of Health Sciences.
He becomes second indigene of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state to be VC of UNIPORT after the graceful Emeritus, Prof Nimi Briggs.
Announcing the results and presenting the new VC to journalists in Port Harcourt, Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Andrew Uchendu said, “I want to assure all of you that we meticulously complied with the full provisions of the act on the selection of the vice chancellor of the university.
“After interviewing about 12 of them, we found three of them appointable.
“For the first time in my life, I have received a delegation of the President, who is the Visitor, to act on his behalf, and on behalf of the President, I want to announce to all of us that the council of the university has considered the report of the Selection Board, and approved the appointment of Prof Georgewill Owunari as the 9th Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt”.
Owunari takes over from Prof Stephen Okududu, who was appointed last year on acting capacity.
Addressing newsmen after he was announced as the VC, Owunari promised to carry everyone along during his time in office.
Reacting to the appointment, the President of the Rivers State Chapter of University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association, Comrade Sam Woka, congratulates Prof. Owunari Georgewill on his emergence as the 9th Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt.
In a congratulatory message of the chapter, Woka described the appointment of Owunari “as one that gladdens the hearts and inspires hope, going by his wealth of experience, record of outstanding performance in administration and his deep and undying love and passion for the University of Port Harcourt.
“We believe that the task of repositioning the University to enviable heights and upholding the dreams of its founding fathers will be greatly consolidated under the current management”, he said.
He further “expressed appreciation to the Pro-Chancellor and members of the Governing Council for the deep wisdom shown in responding to the clarion call by appointing an Alumnus as the 9th Vice Chancellor of our dear Alma Mater”.
Woka said, “the Alumni is optimistic that as a thoroughbred Alumnus of Unique UNIPORT and one of its best, Prof. Georgewill will ensure the continued transformation of the university while representing the interest of staff, students, university community and its stakeholders”.
He, therefore, thanked all who supported and worked towards the actualisation of the call for an Alumnus VC, and also urged all Alumni to support the current administration of Prof. Georgewill to succeed.
It would be recalled that the new VC was born on May 15, 1965 in Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, with his twin sibling, Hon. Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill of the Court of Appeal.
He attended Bishop Crowder Memorial School, Abonnema between 1970 and 1976, and obtained a credit pass in the First Leaving School Certificate Examination before proceeding to the Nyemoni Grammar School also in Abonnema where he obtained his G.C.E. “O” Level Certificate in 1981 in flying colours.
His quest for higher education, took him to the University of Port Harcourt to study Medicine.
In 1987, he graduated with Second Class Honours Upper Division B.Med. Sc. degree in Pharmacology.
His diligence and hardworking nature earned him the nickname “Prof” as early as his secondyear of undergraduate study.
In 1990, he obtained the MBBS degree of the University of Port Harcourt.
He did his housemanship at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital before proceeding to Edo State for his one year National Youth Service as Medical Officer at the Specialist Hospital, Osisioma.
In 1993, he commenced residency training as a Registrar in the Department of Internal Medicine, UPTH.
In 1994, on the leading of his teacher and mentor, Prof Reginald Nwairegbu Pawa Nwankwoala of blessed memory, he applied and was employed as a Lecturer II in Pharmacology after a successful interview.
He rose through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of a Professor of Pharmacology on May, 4, 2010 at age 44.
He also holds the MSc degree in Pharmacology and the MD degree of the University of Port Harcourt.
Owunari has served the Department of Pharmacology, the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, the College of Health Sciences and the University of Port Harcourt in various capacities, during which he discharged his duties creditably.
As examination Officer in the Department of Pharmacology, He supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Department.
Owunari is a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology London; member, International Association of Medical Educators USA; member, Society of Peadiatric Oncologist Italy; member, American Society of Neurochemistry; member of the West African Society of Pharmocology; member, Nigerian Medical Association; member, Association of Specialist Medical Doctors in Academia; member, Indian Society of Pharmacology; member, The World Academy of Science; member, Research in Medicines Society; member, National Cancer Investigation Society UK; member, World Health Workers Without Borders; member, West African Society of Toxicology; and Fellow, Institute of Industrial Administrators.
He is a friend to the New York Academy of Medicine and the Australian Academy of Science.
Owunari has also served his community, Abonnema, his state, Rivers State, his professional associations, Nigeria Medical Association, and the West African Society of Pharmacology in various capacities.
He was appointed Justice of Peace by the Rivers State Government in 2002; served as Assistant Secretary General, NMA, Rivers State; Editorial Board member, Journal of the WASP; Secretary, Board of Governors, Comprehensive Secondary School, Abonnema; and Executive Adviser on Health, AKULGA.
He is a reviewer of Pharmacology articles for many journals. He is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine.
In 2010, Owunari was appointed Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Niger Delta University, where he served creditably during his tour of duty there. In February, 2012, he was elected, Deputy Provost, College of Health Sciences of UNIPORT.
In 2013, he was voted into the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt as Congregation Represntative where he served in various committes of council, including the Finance and General purpose committee F&GPC.
On the national arena, Owunari, served as chairman, Syndicate session on UBE in National Education Summit, organized by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Abuja in 2008.
He served as member of Technical Committee for the Senate Committee of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Education between 2008 and 2009.
He was a Resource Person at the National Education Conference organized by the Senate Committee on Education in conjunction with SIGNIP promotions in Abuja in March, 2010.
He has over 50 original articles in Peer Reviewed, Local, Regional and Foreign indexed Journals.
Owunari is happily married to his lovely wife, Dr. Udeme Georgewill, a lecturer also in the Department of Pharmacology, UNIPORT, and they both have four children.
He is a devout Christian of the Anglican Communion. He is a licensed lay reader and a Knight of St. Christopher.
In 2009, in recognition of his invaluable services to his community, he was installed a chief in the Otaji Group of Houses of Abonnema Coucil of Chiefs.
News
Drug Party: NDLEA Arrests Over 100 Suspects At Lagos Night Club
 
														Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday arrested over 100 suspects at Proxy Night club located at No. 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, where a drug party was going on.
Spokesman of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this yesterday, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike EzeNwalieNwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for screening.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store,” Babafemi said.
The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Similarly, NDLEA said a total of 70 parcels of cocaine factory packed in walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers heading to London, United Kingdom, were uncovered at the export shed of the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, with three suspects arrested in a series of follow-up operations across Lagos.
According to the statement, “The cocaine consignments weighing 3.60 kilograms were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight.
“A cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the consignment for airfreight, was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.
“In a follow up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker OgunmuyideTaiwo Deborah was arrested following which Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, MutiuAdebiyi& Co, was arrested at his 23 LadokeAkintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office on Monday 20 th October”.
In a similar development, an attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from the AkanuIbiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu on Wednesday, 22nd October, was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.
No fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect, Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro local government area of Kwara state, following credible intelligence on Tuesday, 21st October.
In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and SalihuBala, 22, were arrested on Tuesday, 21st October, with 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state, to Mubi, Adamawa state.
Also, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi state, seized 162.200kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck on Friday, 24th October. Operatives in Nasarawa state on Wednesday, 22nd October, recovered 128kg of the same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in the Keffi area of the state.
A mother of two, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis, in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday, 17th October, during a raid at her Lekki home, where 500 grams of the illicit substances were recovered.
In the Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 23rd October, raided the home of a suspect, OgunyaboAdenigbigbe, at Solomade estate, where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
A 75-year-old grandpa, EchenduOnuoka, was arrested on Wednesday, 22nd October, at Ovum village, Obingwa LGA, Abia state, with 4.7kg skunk seized from him, while a 60-year-old grandma, Aukana John, was nabbed with 225 grams of the same substance at Apanta village, in the same LGA.
While a 150kg skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, IkunAkoko, Ondo state, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5kg of the same substance at Yan aya ,Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna on Friday, 24th October, just as another set of suspects: IsahUsman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.
At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 22nd October nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55kg skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry, while AmusaOluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at ItogaBadagry.
In Zamfara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road on Monday, 20th October arrested a suspect, Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, for AK-47 and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka LGA, Zamfara. Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Asabari Grammar School, IluwaIsaleOke, Saki West LGA, Oyo; Government Day Girls Secondary School, BirninKebbi, Kebbi; St. Mark’s College, Nsude, Enugu; Kusaki Secondary School, Gboko North, Benue; Government Day Secondary School, Serti- Baruwa, Gashaka LGA, Taraba; Police Children School 2, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Hajara Ahmad International School, Tudun Wada, Kano state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed BubaMarwa (Rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
SERAP Demands NNPCL Account For Oil Revenues, Threatens Legal Action
 
														The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), BayoOjulari, to provide a detailed account of oil revenues reportedly flagged by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2022 annual report.
The report, published on September 9, 2025, raised questions over the management of multi-billion-naira transactions, including over N22 billion, $49 million, £14 million, and €5 million in oil-related revenue, handled by the national oil company.
In a letter dated October 25, 2025, and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, KolawoleOluwadare, the organisation called on Ojulari to ensure transparency by identifying those responsible for any unaccounted funds and forwarding the findings to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies.
“These findings raise serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of public resources,” SERAP said.
The group urged the NNPCL to recover any unremitted or misapplied funds and return them to the national treasury, stressing that proper management of oil revenues was crucial for national development.
“The allegations, if not promptly and transparently addressed, could undermine public confidence and economic stability,” SERAP stated.
According to the organisation, the Auditor-General’s report drew attention to issues such as irregular payments, uncompleted projects, and documentation lapses relating to oil sector transactions.
SERAP argued that corruption and financial mismanagement in the oil sector had long hindered Nigeria’s ability to channel its vast petroleum wealth into improved public services.
“Despite the country’s enormous oil resources, citizens continue to face hardship due to a lack of accountability and transparency in revenue management,” the statement noted.
The organisation maintained that if the flagged funds were properly accounted for, more resources could be made available for sectors such as education, healthcare, and social welfare.
It added that the NNPCL must take proactive steps to comply with audit recommendations, including closing identified loopholes and enhancing oversight on contract execution.
SERAP also warned that it would take legal action should the NNPCL fail to respond within seven days.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and publication of this letter.
“If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel compliance in the public interest,” the organisation said.
The group cited Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates public institutions to prevent corrupt practices and abuse of power.
News
N’Assembly Committee Approves New State ForS’East
 
														The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in the South-East geo-political zone.
According to a statement by the media unit of the committee, the resolution was reached on Saturday at a two-day retreat in Lagos, where it reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.
The session, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, BarauJibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, resolved that, in the spirit of fairness and equity, the Federal Government should create another state for the region.
Kalu, who joined other lawmakers to champion additional state creation for the region, argued that a new state would give the people a sense of belonging.
When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, each having six states.
The South-East is the only geo-political zone with five states comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.
The North-West comprises seven states: Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Jigawa.
According to the statement, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State) at the retreat.
“The motion received the unanimous support of committee members and was adopted,” the statement read in part.
Similarly, the committee also established a sub-committee to consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geo-political zones, noting that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.
Speaking at the event, Jibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolutions sail through during voting.
“We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process.
“By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the state Houses of Assembly,” the Deputy Senate President was quoted as saying.
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