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Apr
09
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Gov. Otti Reaffirms Commitment To Health, Says He Has No Choice But To Fix Abia

Gov. Otti Reaffirms Commitment To Health, Says He Has No Choice But To Fix Abia

Abia State, Health, News Flash
GOV. OTTI REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HEALTH, SAYS HE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX ABIA. Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has reaffirmed his commitment to making health care a top priority in the State.. Governor Otti was speaking, when he received a delegation of the consultant coordinating the Free Cataract Extraction for NNPC Foundation, Dr. (Mrs) Anne Amugo, who was in the Abia for the flag-off of the NNPC’s free cataract surgery initiative taking place simultaneously in three locations across the State. He said that health care is one of administration’s top priority because of its direct impact on…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Patience Jonathan Allegedly Holds Closed Door Meeting With Top Prison Officials Over Detention Of 15 Domestic Staff

Patience Jonathan Allegedly Holds Closed Door Meeting With Top Prison Officials Over Detention Of 15 Domestic Staff

Crime, Human Rights, News Flash
Concerns over the controversial detention of 15 domestic workers by former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, have intensified, following her secretive meeting with top officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Bayelsa State. The workers have been imprisoned for nearly six years without trial. According to a source close to the situation who spoke with SaharaReporters, Patience Jonathan was seen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Friday, shortly after reports emerged regarding the harsh conditions faced by the detained workers at Okaka Correctional Centre. The source added that Jonathan invited the controller of prisons for the Bayelsa Command and the…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Soldier Arrested For Chopping Off Trader’s Fingers

Soldier Arrested For Chopping Off Trader’s Fingers

Armed Forces, Crime, Mishap, News Flash
Soldier Arrested For Chopping Off Trader’s Fingers Tension gripped as police confirmed the arrest of a serving soldier, Private Sadiq Sani, for allegedly chopping off three fingers of a trader during a violent altercation in Minna, the capital of Niger State. According to reports, the disturbing incident occurred on March 30, 2025, at about 3 p.m. in the Makera area of Minna. The suspect, a soldier attached to the 2 Division Brigade Garrison, reportedly visited the shop of 26-year-old Abdulrahman Salisu to purchase shoes. However, a disagreement over payment quickly escalated into a heated argument. Eyewitnesses said the situation turned…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Nigeria Not Affected In Saudi Visa Ban – FGN

Nigeria Not Affected In Saudi Visa Ban – FGN

FGN, Foreign Affairs, Immigration, News Flash
Nigeria Not Affected In Saudi Visa Ban – FG Nigeria is not on the list of countries facing an entry ban into Saudi Arabia from April 13, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has clarified. Tuggar said in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, that Saudi authorities officially confirmed yesterday that a viral memo suggesting Nigeria’s inclusion in the list was false. He described the document, which named Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco. India, Pakistan and seven others as the affected countries, as misleading and inaccurate. “The Saudi Tourism Centre confirmed no such directive exists.…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Diamond Bank Founder, Pascal Dozie Is Dead

Diamond Bank Founder, Pascal Dozie Is Dead

News Flash, CBN/Commercial Banking, Obituary
Diamond Bank Founder, Pascal Dozie Is Dead The founder of the defunct Diamond Bank Plc and a former chairman of MTN Nigeria, Pascal Dozie, is dead. According to a statement issued by the family on Tuesday, the business tycoon died on Monday at the age of 85. Born on 9 April 1939, Dozie was raised in a Catholic home, with his father, Charles Dozie, serving as a catechist. He had his early education at Our Lady’s School Emekuku, Holy Ghost Juniorate Seminary, and Holy Ghost College, Owerri, where he obtained his West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Seeking higher education…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Suspended Rivers Assembly Lawmakers Hosted By Wike In UK

Suspended Rivers Assembly Lawmakers Hosted By Wike In UK

House Of Assembly, News Flash, Politics
Wike Hosts Suspended Rivers Assembly Lawmakers In UK Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), on Monday hosted suspended Rivers assembly lawmakers in the United Kingdom. In a video shared on X, Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant on public communications and social media to the minister, said the lawmakers, “who are in the UK for legislative capacity building”, were hosted to a dinner by the minister. Yesterday, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, hosted Rivers State House of Assembly members who are in the United Kingdom for Legislative Capacity Building, to a dinner. Olayinka added that “Wike left Nigeria…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
U.S Slams Nigeria’s Import Ban On 25 Products Amid Rising Global Trade Tensions

U.S Slams Nigeria’s Import Ban On 25 Products Amid Rising Global Trade Tensions

Business, Economy, Foreign Affairs, News Flash, World News
U.S. Slams Nigeria’s Import Bans On 25 Products Amid Rising Global Trade Tensions The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has faulted Nigeria’s import ban on 25 items, saying the restrictions limit market access for American exporters. This comes almost a week after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on goods entering the US, with Nigeria getting 14 percent. In a post on X on Monday, the USTR highlighted what it described as “unfair trade practices faced by American exporters”. “Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts U.S. exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods,” the agency…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Ndume Knocks Tinubu Over Lopsided Federal Appointments

Ndume Knocks Tinubu Over Lopsided Federal Appointments

Empowerment, Columns/Opinions/Letters, FGN, Politics
Ndume Knocks Tinubu Over Lopsided Federal Appointments Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for his political appointments. The legislator described the appointments as violations of the constitutional provision for federal character. Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, Ndume said Tinubu’s appointments have not reflected the diversity mandated by section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution. “The figures are there. You can look at the figures. I sent you one. I sent you figures. It’s not that I’m just making accusations,” Ndume said. “And it’s not that I’m saying, well, the president has no right…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Gunmen Storm University, Abduct Student

Gunmen Storm University, Abduct Student

Crime, Mishap, News Flash, Security
Gunmen Storm University, Abduct Student Unidentified gunmen have abducted a 400-level student of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK), Augustine Madubiya, in the early hours of Tuesday. A local resident was also shot and killed during the attack. The incident occurred around 3:00am at Istijaba Villa, an off-campus hostel located in Unguwar Jeji. According to eyewitness accounts, five armed men approached students who were sleeping outside their rooms due to the hot weather and demanded money. When the students explained that they had no money, the attackers assaulted them. During the chaos, a nearby resident, Malam Siddi Hussaini, who was…
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Apr
08
2025
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By Abia ThinkTank
Empowering Citizens, Enabling Innovation: Governor Otti’s Citizen-Centric Governance Approach, Inspired By Global Success Stories Like Tik Tok And BYD – By Dr. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Empowering Citizens, Enabling Innovation: Governor Otti’s Citizen-Centric Governance Approach, Inspired By Global Success Stories Like Tik Tok And BYD – By Dr. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Empowerment, Good Governance, Politics
Empowering Citizens, Enabling Innovation: Governor Otti's Citizen-Centric Governance Approach, Inspired by Global Success Stories like TikTok and BYD The concept(s) I'm referring to is deeply rooted in the realm of economic policies and strategies employed by governments to stimulate and bolster their economies. This approach, often characterized by the injection of public funds into key sectors or industries, is a hallmark of state-led development or industrial policy. At its core, this strategy seeks to leverage government intervention to drive economic growth, foster innovation, and enhance competitiveness on a global scale. While John Maynard Keynes is indeed renowned for advocating government…
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