Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said that his administration will only borrow money to run the state when it is absolutely necessary.
The governor made the vow in Umuahia on Wednesday during a lecture series to mark his two years in office.
Otti, while responding to some of the issues raised by the lecturer, Dr Idika Kalu, a one-time Finance Minister, said borrowing was not to be done recklessly, adding that he would only borrow when necessary.
The governor said he had to inculcate financial discipline and responsibility in the system to get the state to a greater level.
He said he had been paying workers and pensioners, having found that it made more economic sense to pay than to keep the money at the bank.
“We shall commit the remaining two years of this term to institutionalising the reforms that have been initiated.
“Collectively, we shall make Abia the hub of transformational ideas; we shall not be tired of listening to new ideas, for that is the path to continuous growth and progress,” Otti stated.
The governor thanked Kalu for accepting the invitation to deliver his administration’s second anniversary lecture.
Otti said the state put the lecture together to “talk to ourselves honestly and evaluate how far we have come, what we have done right, and what we can do better.”
In his lecture, the former Minister of Finance urged the governor to borrow to expand projects that would create value for the state.
The octogenarian maintained that such borrowing was not bad once it was done in the interest of the state.
The lecture was titled, “Two years of transformation; Sustaining the momentum.”
Kalu also urged Otti to use the media in major roles in his development efforts because of its power to cause change.
“The media can help this nation get back to life so don’t give them minor roles but give them key roles,” Kalu said.
Kalu commended Otti for his numerous projects some of which he said he had seen delivered while some are still ongoing.
He urged the government to always abide by the rule of law and to show examples of how things should be done rightly and uprightly.
Kalu harped on the need to punish errant persons who instilled impunity in the society, noting that a society where impunity reigned was not modernised.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024.
The bills were passed at a session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.
The development followed the adoption of the harmonised versions of the reform bills by both the House and the Senate.
At plenary on Wednesday, the House of Representatives considered the report of the conference committee, which harmonised the bills.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abiodun Faleke (APC, Lagos), who headed the House team to the conference committee, presented the conference report to the House for consideration.
According to him, the Conference Committee met and agreed on all areas of difference in the version passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
He stated that there were 45 areas of difference in the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 12 areas of difference in the Nigeria Revenue Service Bill, 9 areas of difference in the Joint Revenue Board Bill and 46 areas of difference in the Nigeria Tax Bill, adding that all grey areas were resolved ahead of the passage.
While the conference committee agreed to retain the Senate version in some of the clauses, they also retained the House version in some others, making amendments in a few others.
The conference committee agreed to the imposition of a 4 per cent development levy on the assessable profit of all companies chargeable to tax under Chapters 2 and 3, except small companies and non-resident companies.
They also agreed that the levy shall be collected by the Nigeria Revenue Service and paid into a special account created for the same purpose.
In the sharing formula, the committee agreed that 50 per cent of the tax would go to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, 15 per cent to the Education Loan Fund (up from 3 per cent agreed by the House), and 8 per cent to the Nigeria Information Technology Development Fund.
Similarly, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure is to get 8 per cent (down from 10 per cent earlier agreed by both chambers), the National Board for Technology Incubation is to get 4 per cent from the fund, defence and security infrastructure is to get 10 per cent while cyber security fund will get 5 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Social Security Fund, Nigeria Police Trust Fund, and National Sports Development Fund were excluded from the list of beneficiaries passed by the House of Representatives.
The committee also adopted a new clause 158, which imposes a 5 per cent surcharge on chargeable fossil fuel products provided or produced in Nigeria and shall be collected at the time a chargeable transaction occurs.
The controversial Value Added Tax sharing formula was not part of the areas of disagreement between the two legislative chambers.
In his remarks, Kalu said the parliament has played its part in ensuring that the country moves forward, even as he urged the executive arm of government to do its part.
In his contribution, a member of the House representing Gwoza/Damboa/Chibok Federal Constituency, Borno State, Ahmed Jaha warned those who will clean up the bill not to tamper with any of the clauses passed, saying “Where the T is not crossed, don’t cross it, where the I is not dotted, don’t do it. We have the original copies of the bills as passed before and after harmonisation.
“We have had cases in the past where those in charge of cleaning up the bills tamper with it and at the end of the day, the President will withhold assent. That must not happen.”
That said, the All Progressives Congress lawmaker singled out Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu for praise, saying, “I want to thank your leadership for the role you played in making these bills a success. I also want to thank the Chairman of the Committee, Abiodun Faleke. He showed that he is truly a good elder. He provided a lot of training for some of us, and I want to say that this is the way to go.”
The legal team representing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Wednesday raised the alarm over what it described as a disturbing pattern of selective justice, following the Federal Government’s decision to file criminal charges against her despite multiple unresolved petitions she lodged earlier this year.
In a statement released by her counsel, Uju Nwoduwu, the team outlined 12 petitions submitted by the senator between March and May 2025.
The petitions reportedly detail allegations including cyberstalking, defamation, threats to life, and an alleged assassination attempt.
According to the legal team, none of these complaints have been acted upon by the Nigeria Police Force or any relevant security agency.
“There is a legitimate public expectation that law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies uphold the principles of fairness, due process, and equal justice—regardless of who is involved,” the statement said.
The lawyers further expressed concern that while Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petitions remain unattended, counter-allegations filed by those she accused—including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello—have been swiftly pursued, leading to criminal charges against her.
“This glaring disparity raises serious concerns about a biased and uneven application of justice,” the statement continued.
Some of the petitions, they added, involve high-ranking officials and incidents as grave as the abduction and attempted assassination of a protocol officer.
Though currently abroad on personal engagements, Akpoti-Uduaghan has acknowledged receipt of official communication regarding the charges and has pledged to make herself available for arraignment as soon as a date is set.
“She remains resolute in her commitment to due process,” the legal team affirmed, while also thanking members of the public who have voiced concern over what they called “an extraordinarily questionable criminal charge.”
The statement concluded with a renewed appeal for impartial investigations into all outstanding petitions and a call for justice to be applied equally, without fear or favour.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has donated three acres of land to the International Council for Ifa Religion for the construction of the World Ifa Temple.
This was aimed at promoting its activities and establishing the largest pilgrimage site for Yoruba traditional worshippers across the world.
The ICIR announced this in a statement released by its President, Fayemi Fakayode, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday.
Fakayode said, “This gesture of our referred first class Oba has demonstrated his love for tradition and Yoruba culture and spirituality.
“On behalf of the Council of Araba and Oluwo, under the Chairmanship of His Eminence, Awodotun Aworeni, the Araba/Olu-Isese Agbaye and all practitioners of Ifa and Orisa Worldwide, we thank His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, for this good and historic gesture.
“With this step, Ooni’s commitment to preserving and promoting Oduduwa’s cultural heritage and spirituality is obvious to all to see.
“This project is going to be the largest World Ifa Temple across the world, and it will serve as a major pilgrimage site for practitioners of Oduduwa’s spirituality across the globe.”
He said the three acres of land are located around the Stadium Area, Route 7, Ile-Ife, Osun State, and work has begun on the site.
It will be recalled that ICIR, whose headquarters is located at Oke-Itase, Ile Ife, had recently requested the land for the construction of what the body tagged “the Largest World Ifa Temple” in Ile Ife.
The Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Bola Tinubu to reverse all his anti-people policies, vowing that it won’t bow to intimidation by the Federal Government.
This was stated in the communiqué of the PDP’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting, read by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, during the session held in Abuja on Tuesday.
While reading the NEC communiqué, Damagum joined by other members of the PDP National Working Committee stated that the party’s leadership expressed deep concern over the dire and troubling condition of the nation under President Tinubu’s administration.
According to Damagum, the PDP NEC described Tinubu’s administration as hopelessly exploitative, insensitive, and opposed to the interests of the people.
Damagum said, “NEC condemns the worsening insecurity; the wanton killings, banditry, kidnapping, marauding of communities and other acts of terrorism in various parts of our country, emboldened by President Tinubu’s apparent negligence and abdication of his Constitutional duty to ensure the safety and security of the nation and her citizens.
“NEC also laments the worsening economic hardship and extreme poverty in the country occasioned by the ill-advised and ill-implemented polices of the Tinubu administration; hike in fuel price, wanton increase in electricity tariff, multiple taxes and unexplained charges on services, resulting in collapse of the productive sector, closure of millions of businesses, massive loss of jobs, rise in criminality and general sense of misery across the country.
“NEC condemns the policy inconsistency, wholesale corruption, massive treasury-looting, budget padding and diversion of public funds that pervade the Tinubu administration resulting in infrastructural retrogression and loss of investors’ confidence in our system.
“NEC restates the PDP demand that President Tinubu administration should rescind all its anti-people policies and take practical steps to address the insecurity and economic recession in the country.”
Damagum remarked that Tinubu’s administration is making deliberate efforts to turn Nigeria into a one-party state due to fears of the APC’s likely defeat in the 2027 elections.
He stated, “NEC stands in firm resistance to the sinister plot by the Tinubu-led APC to turn Nigeria into a one-Party totalitarian state as evidenced in the desperate attempts to stifle and annihilate opposition parties through open siege, threats and intimidation of opposition figures and institutions of democracy in Nigeria.
“It is clear that this plot is borne out of APC’s mortal fear of inevitable defeat in 2027 due to its dismal failure in government.”
In his earlier remarks, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, accused the Federal Government of using intimidation and exclusion tactics, pledging to oppose such actions and stay committed to upholding good governance.
Mohammed disclosed that the PDP has experienced defections and coalition discussions affecting some members, but he stressed that the party remains united and determined to fulfill its mandate.
He stated, “Despite these pressures, our members remain steadfast and unwavering. There is no form of intimidation or persuasion that we, as elected governors and members, have not encountered. Yet, we remain resolute in our commitment.”
A 16-year-old Senior Secondary School, two science student of Ilimi School, Ramlat Ahmed, has been inaugurated as the Speaker of the Gombe State Children’s Parliament.
Ahmed was sworn in on Monday alongside 14-year-old Christopher Ngale, who emerged as Deputy Speaker, and 10 other principal officers who will steer the affairs of the seventh assembly of the Children’s Parliament in the state.
The inauguration, held at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, was witnessed by government officials, legislative officers, and child rights advocates.
While inaugurating the new assembly, Principal Legislative Officer at the Gombe State House of Assembly, Aminu Aliyu, charged the young lawmakers to prioritise the protection of children’s rights.
“You are to see yourselves as ambassadors of other children; you must carry yourselves in a manner that reflects the responsibilities of your offices,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Modi Shelpidi, said the inauguration marked a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to promote child welfare.
“Since 2022, the state has not had a functioning Children’s Parliament. This assembly will go a long way in advancing not only children’s rights but also broader issues concerning women,” Shelpidi noted.
Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Gombe State House of Assembly, Gabriel Galadima, pledged the Assembly’s full support for the initiative.
“We are committed to teaching the children the rudiments of lawmaking. They should feel free to seek guidance from us whenever necessary,” Galadima said.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Asma’u Iganus, commended the state governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, for his unwavering commitment to the welfare of children in the state.
Iganus described the inauguration as a historic and auspicious occasion aimed at empowering young people to understand legislative processes and participate in decisions that affect their lives.
“The Governor’s assent to the Child Protection Law and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law is a clear demonstration of his passion and fatherly concern for children in the state,” the commissioner said.
Iganus urged the young parliamentarians to use their platform to advocate for the rights and interests of children within and beyond Gombe State.
She also called on all stakeholders to provide an enabling and secure environment for children, free from intimidation and harassment.
In a related development, officials of the ministry, led by the Commissioner, visited several orphanages across the state as part of activities to commemorate the upcoming Children’s Day on May 27.
Relief items were distributed at Al-Guh Orphanage, Da’awah Orphanage, Gombe House of Hope, and Destiny Kids Orphanage.
The All Progressives Congress in Benue State has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the incessant killings in the state.
The party stated that the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, can no longer address the worsening insecurity.
The state publicity secretary of the party, under the leadership of the Austin Agada faction, Daniel Ihomun, made this known in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday.
This was in reaction to the recent killing of a police officer and 41 people in four communities in the Gwer West Local Government Area of the state.
The APC described the latest massacre as another tragic addition to the growing list of unprovoked attacks on the defenceless people of the state.
Ihomun said, “It is now crystal clear that the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia has no strategy or capacity to address the persistent security crisis ravaging Benue communities.
“The government’s inability to stem the tide of bloodshed has left our people vulnerable, and the silence from the corridors of power is both deafening and damning.”
The party also criticised what it described as the “conspicuous silence” of the Benue State House of Assembly and condemned the lawmakers’ sudden recess.
“As representatives of the people, their inaction and failure to speak out against these atrocities is utterly unacceptable.
“The leadership of the Assembly has sadly turned its back on those they were elected to serve. At a time when our state is engulfed in what amounts to a genocide, there is absolutely no justification for legislative recess or passivity.
“As defenders of our people, the APC Benue State Chapter calls on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to urgently intervene by deploying more security personnel to the state to protect lives and restore peace.
“The state government has clearly run out of ideas and lacks the political will to confront this menace,” the party’s publicity secretary said.
The party, however, reiterated its call for a stakeholders’ security meeting to address the rising insecurity in the state.
It suggested that such a meeting should include critical stakeholders across party lines—National Assembly members, government appointees, youth representatives, clergy, traditional rulers, and security agencies.
“Our people deserve to live without fear. We will not keep silent in the face of continuous attacks and governmental indifference,” the factional party added.
Meanwhile, Alia, in a statement condemning the killings, reaffirmed his commitment to the safety and security of the people of Benue State.
According to a statement issued by his media aide, Kula Tersoo, the governor expressed support for traditional institutions in the state that have mandated Fulani herdsmen to vacate the state.
The statement reads, “He (Alia) stands resolute with the traditional institution, which has recently mandated the immediate evacuation of criminal herders and their accomplice terrorists from Benue lands.”
Governor Alia also urged security agencies to intensify their efforts to safeguard Benue communities, stating, “It is imperative that these criminal elements and their accomplices are apprehended and dealt with swiftly and justly in accordance with the laws of our land.”
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has dismissed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa, with immediate effect.
No official reason was provided for the announcement, which was made public on Monday afternoon by the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba.
The directive instructed Akaolisa to hand over all government property in his possession to the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice without delay.
The statement, titled “Imo State Government Special Public Service Announcement,” read: “The Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, has approved the immediate removal from office of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister C.O.C. Akaolisa.
“The former commissioner is hereby directed to hand over all government property under his care to the State Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, immediately.”
Prior to Uzodimma’s tenure as governor, Akaolisa was a close ally and was considered a potential Deputy Governor candidate in 2019.
However, tensions arose between them, notably when Akaolisa was mistakenly omitted during a cabinet reshuffle. Emelumba later clarified that Akaolisa was not among the commissioners dismissed at that time.
In 2021, Akaolisa was barred from practising law by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for alleged professional misconduct.
The ban followed the findings of a six-member Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Dauda J.B. (SAN).
On July 9, 2021, the committee found Akaolisa guilty of the allegations and imposed a five-year suspension from legal practice due to misconduct.
It was reported that Akaolisa had allegedly used his position as Attorney General to facilitate the bail of a murder suspect who had been in custody since 2013, standing trial before Justice Onii Egbunighe of Orlu High Court (2).
The suspect, Mr Paulinus Nwanochie, was on trial for the murder of Mr Alphonsus Akuma, both from Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
Akaolisa was purportedly the suspect’s legal counsel prior to his appointment as Attorney General.
However, in April 2025, the Supreme Court of Nigeria overturned the five-year ban following appeals against the LPDC’s decision.
In a unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court found the committee’s ruling flawed and set it aside.
Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, leading the five-member panel, stated: “Having considered the arguments presented by counsel, the court finds the appeal meritorious and hereby allows it.
“The decision of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee delivered on July 9, 2021, which found the appellant liable for infamous conduct and suspended him from legal practice for five years, is hereby set aside.”
Officials from the Federal Capital Territory Administration, under the leadership of Minister Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have sealed the National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party.
At exactly 2:06 pm, a group of FCTA staff locked the entrance gate of Wadata Plaza, the PDP’s national secretariat located in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
This action follows the FCTA’s recent announcement on Sunday, stating its intention to reclaim properties affected by the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to non-payment of ground rent spanning 10 to 43 years.
US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “crazy” on Sunday after Moscow launched a deadly barrage of drones against Ukraine, even as the warring countries completed a large-scale prisoner exchange.
At least 13 people were killed when Russia launched a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight to Sunday.
”I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
”I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he added.
His comments marked a rare rebuke to Putin, who he often speaks of with admiration. The US leader has, however, expressed increasing frustration with Moscow’s position in deadlocked truce negotiations with Kyiv.
Earlier Sunday, Trump told reporters he was “not happy” about the latest attack on Ukraine and that he was “absolutely” considering increasing sanctions on Moscow.
”I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” he said.
- ‘Terror’ –
Ukraine’s emergency services described Sunday an atmosphere of “terror” in the country after a second straight night of massive Russian air strikes, including on the capital Kyiv.
Those killed in the latest Russian strikes included victims aged eight, 12, and 17 in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr, officials said.
”Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.
”The silence of America, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin,” he said, adding: “Sanctions will certainly help.”
In his social media post, Trump also criticized Zelensky, a frequent target of his ire, accusing him of “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.”
”Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” he said.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also called for “the strongest international pressure on Russia to stop this war.”
”Last night’s attacks again show Russia bent on more suffering and the annihilation of Ukraine,” she said on social media.
- Call for sanctions –
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also denounced the attacks.
”Putin does not want peace, he wants to carry on the war and we shouldn’t allow him to do this,” he said. “For this reason we will approve further sanctions at a European level.”
Ukraine’s military said on Sunday it had shot down a total of 45 Russian missiles and 266 attack drones overnight.
Air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said 298 drones were launched, adding that this was “the highest number ever.”
Four people were reported killed in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region, and four in the Kyiv region.
Two people were killed in the southern Mykolaiv region.
”We saw the whole street was on fire,” a 65-year-old retired woman, Tetiana Iankovska, told AFP in Markhalivka village just southwest of Kyiv.
Russia said its strikes were aimed at Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex” and that it had brought down 110 Ukrainian drones.
The previous night, Russia had launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones, wounding 15 people, according to Ukrainian officials.
Flights at Moscow airports suffered temporary closures due to Ukrainian drone activity on Sunday but no injuries were reported, officials said.
Ukrainian officials also reported Russian strikes overnight to Monday, but not on the same scale.
Two people were injured and a house was destroyed in the Zaporizhzhia region when “the enemy struck the village of Yurkivka”, Ivan Fedorov, the governor of the region, said in a Telegram post.
- Major prisoner exchange –
The massive strikes on Ukraine came as Russia said it had exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv — the last phase of a swap agreed during talks in Istanbul on May 16.
That marked their biggest prisoner swap since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with 1,000 captured soldiers and civilian prisoners in total sent back by each side.
Zelensky confirmed the swap was complete.
An AFP reporter saw some of the formerly captive Ukrainian soldiers arrive at a hospital in the northern Chernigiv region, emaciated but smiling and waving to crowds.
One former captive, 58-year-old Viktor Syvak, told AFP he was overcome by the emotional homecoming.
Captured in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, he had been held for 37 months and 12 days.
”It’s impossible to describe. I can’t put it into words,” he said of the release.
