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Nigeria @62: Ikwerre, Ogu/Bolo, Tai LG Bosses Harp On Inclusivity, Justice
As Nigerians marked the 62nd Independence Day anniversary of the country, last Saturday, the chairmen of Ikwerre, Ogu/Bolo and Tai local government councils in Rivers State, Engr Samuel Nwanosike; Barrister Vincent Nemieboka; and Sir Friday Mbakpone Okpe; vowed that the nation can only develop if everyone recognises that it belongs to nobody, and harped on the urgency for the adoption inclusive, just and equitable policies as a deliberate strategy to move the nation forward.
They made their positions known, last Saturday while speaking during the celebration of Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary at the councils’ headquarters in Isiokpo, Ogu and Saakpenwa, respectively.
According to Nwanosike, “If we want to build this nation, start from your little corner where you find opportunity.
“Nigeria can only be built if all recognise that this nation belongs to nobody other than us and there is nowhere under the planet earth that we can call home other than Nigeria”.
The Ikwerre council chairman pleaded with the people to disabuse their minds from the insinuation that Nigeria belongs to certain set of persons, saying that it belongs to everyone.
He urged Nigerians to use the forthcoming elections in 2023 to select leaders that would refrain from storytelling, while calling on those who stereotyped themselves as unifiers to start unifying from their homes and political parties before talking about Nigeria.
While describing every October 1 as significant in the lives of Nigerians, Nwanosikesaid the day reminded Nigerians of their political liberation.
“To us as a government, it is a very important ceremony because it reminds us that the time we as Nigerians have started to take the mantle of affairs after our colonial masters departed the shores of this country. It is 62 years today”, he said.
Nwanosike, however, lamented that Nigeria was still bedevilled with insecurity and hunger 62 years after Independence.
According to him, “And that brings to my attention the state of our country, today, 62 years of providing leadership and management of our resources in all spheres without interruption from any external force. Nigeria is bedevilled with insecurity, hunger in our land, attack of our independence from all other spheres of our country, a lot of our local government areas being taken over by criminal elements and non-state actors who have now grown so wild and have made it clear that we as a country do no more have the monopoly of violence which is supposed to be controlled by our security agencies”.
He charged Nigerians not to be dampened by the situations of the country, but should rather be more committed in developing a great nation.
“I want to remind all of us seated here, today, that we are all equals before the laws of our land. There is no special Nigerian; there is no Nigerian that is a slave in his father’s land.
“So, we all must contribute our quota in every angle we find ourselves, whether in public service or in the private service or in the security service or even in the community service”.
The 62nd Independence Day celebration by the authority of Ikwerre Local Government Council witnessed cultural dances, march-past from corps members, military and paramilitary personnel, and some secondary schools, amongst others.
It was attended by traditional rulers, politicians, civil servants, and members of the public.
In his remarks, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Council Chairman, Barrister Vincent Nemieboka,said he was proud to be a Nigerian because it was a great nation despite the numerous challenges that the country was pass through.
He said that, “we are still striving and growing incrementally”.
Nemieboka said this at a thanksgiving service organised to commemorate Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary held at St Martin’s Anglican Church, Ogu.
The first Bible reading was taken from 1st Chronicles 16: 20-26, by Barrister Vincent Nemieboka while the second reading was taken by the Vice Chairman of council, Hon Eunice Alabo from Philippians 4: 10-19.
Giving his goodwill message, Nemieboka said he considered it necessary to organise the thanksgiving service instead of a parade because of the efficacy of prayers.
According to him, “the faith we have that God will help us succeed, no matter our strength”, and the promise he had made that we would annually mark the creation of the LGA in the presence of God.
He said when he started his campaign; he had envisaged that without God, it would be impossible for anyone to succeed in life, which was why his campaign slogan was “It will end in Praise”.
Nemieboka said “despite our modest size and financial allocation Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area is the richest LGA, and for this reason, I am proud that we have a LGA of our own”.
He said the people of Ogu/Bolo should always give thanks to God because the creation of the LGA had fostered unity, “and we should key into that unity, and live as one indivisible people.
“The creation of the LGA has put our name in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and we don’t need to lobby for appointments as it is now our right to be given fair share in political appointments”.
Nemieboka said that since he assumed office 16 months ago, he has been able to invest substantial resources in conflict resolution, unity among the people, and infrastructure development in all the communities to advance the development of the area.
Currently, he said the council was embarking on massive skills acquisition programme with over 2,000 youths who have been enrolled for the programme.
The first batch of the programme has begun and would end by the end of October, giving way for the second batch, he said.
Nemieboka also said that as the campaigns for 2023 elections commence, political parties should not malign or be violent to one another.
He appealed that the process should be done peaceful, and called on political leaders of the various political parties to caution their members from indulging in practices that may upset the existing peace in the area.
He said as chairman of the council, he would ensure that peace and security was maintained.
The message for the day was given by the Bishop of Anglican Communion, Dioceses of Okrika, Rt Rev Enoch Atuboyedia, who admonished Christians to eschew pride and be faithful followers of Christ.
Atuboyedia used the story of Job as an illustration.
In attendance were the Amanyanabo of Bolo, King Acheseinimie Micha Frank; chiefs from the area, councillors, political party leaders, CDCs, staff of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Council, school children and others.
Similarly, the Chairman of Tai Local Government Council, Sir Friday Mbakpone Okpe, used the Independence Day celebration to roll out series of activities and policies his administration plans to implement in the coming days.
Okpe unveiled the policies and activities while addressing leaders and students of Tai Local Government Area after reviewing parades/march pass at the council headquarters, Saakpenwa.
He stated that the 62nd Independence Day of Nigeria also marked the 26th anniversary of Tai Local Government Area as an administrative unit in the country.
Okpe enjoined the people of Tai to be resilient in their various responsibilities, and stick to the purpose for the creation of Tai Local Government.
He further disclosed that his administration had already put in place measures to cope with the unabated vacuum created in the education system due to lack of teachers, adding that the council was ready to assign volunteer teachers and health workers to close the manpower gaps in the coming week.
Saddened by the poor nature of the education system, Okpe, however, declared that his administration would commence the distribution of free exercise books to all primary and secondary schools in Tai Local Government in November, 2022.
He also promised to procure Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for all students in SS3 in Tai secondary schools.
These, according to him, would encourage the children and youths to embrace education,while also easing some educational responsibilities on parents.
Okpe further streamlined the development achievements of his administration, and announced that all ongoing projects would be commissioned by November, 2022, adding that more projects would be flagged off at the same time.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
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.
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.
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.
