Blog

Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Mapping The Future: How Governor Otti’s 25 – Year Plan Has Secured Abia’s Destiny- By Ebere Uzoukwa Ph.D (SSA To Governor Otti On Public Affairs)

Mapping The Future: How Governor Otti’s 25 – Year Plan Has Secured Abia’s Destiny- By Ebere Uzoukwa Ph.D (SSA To Governor Otti On Public Affairs)

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Infrastructure
Mapping the Future: How Governor Otti’s 25-Year Plan Has Secured Abia’s Destiny By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has moved Abia State from the uncertainty of political cycles into the certainty of long-term planning by signing into law a comprehensive 25-Year Development Plan. In a political environment where visions often expire with administrations, this singular act stands out as a deliberate effort to protect Abia’s future from policy reversals and governance disruptions. By legally institutionalising development planning, the governor has transformed aspiration into obligation, ensuring that growth, prosperity, and good governance in Abia are no longer optional…
Read More
Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Succession, Not Elections: The Hidden Battle That Will Decide Abia’s 25-Year Development Future – By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Succession, Not Elections: The Hidden Battle That Will Decide Abia’s 25-Year Development Future – By Prof Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Economy, Good Governance, Politics
SUCCESSION, NOT ELECTIONS: THE HIDDEN BATTLE THAT WILL DECIDE ABIA’S 25-YEAR DEVELOPMENT FUTURE For all the noise that dominates Nigerian politics, history shows that long-term development is rarely defeated by opposition parties or public criticism. It is defeated by something quieter and more lethal: succession failure. As Abia State sketches a 25-year development horizon under Governor Alex Otti, the most consequential question is not who wins the next election, but who governs after him—and whether governance survives beyond personalities. This is not speculation. It is a pattern well documented across successful and failed reform states worldwide. THE FIRST PHASE (2023–2031):…
Read More
Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
NMDPRA Boss, Farouk Ahmed, Finally Responds To Dangote’s Allegation

NMDPRA Boss, Farouk Ahmed, Finally Responds To Dangote’s Allegation

Columns/Opinions/Letters, Human Rights, News Flash, Oil & Gas
NMDPRA Boss, Farouk Ahmed, Finally Responds To Dangote’s Allegation The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, has responded to recent claims regarding the financing of his children’s education and his integrity in office, insisting that the allegations are misleading and ill-timed. In a detailed statement, Ahmed said the allegations “necessitated this response, not because I fear scrutiny of my finances, which I welcome, but because the timing and nature of these claims demand context that only three decades of public service can provide.” Ahmed highlighted his career in Nigeria’s petroleum…
Read More
Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
US Adds Nigeria To List Of Countries Facing Partial Travel Restrictions

US Adds Nigeria To List Of Countries Facing Partial Travel Restrictions

Foreign Affairs, Immigration, News Flash
US Adds Nigeria To List Of Countries Facing Partial Travel Restrictions President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a Proclamation further restricting entry to the United States for nationals from countries deemed high-risk due to “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that threaten U.S. national security and public safety. Among the 15 additional countries newly subject to partial restrictions is Nigeria. The announcement comes directly from the White House website, in a fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States”, issued…
Read More
Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Police Arrest Tiktoker Peller Over ‘Attempted Suicide’

Police Arrest Tiktoker Peller Over ‘Attempted Suicide’

Crime, News Flash, Police Force
Police Arrest Tiktoker Peller Over ‘Attempted Suicide’ The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained social media influencer Habeeb Hamzat, also known as Peller, after a video showing him driving recklessly and subsequently crashing his car during a live stream went viral. The arrest was confirmed in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, on Tuesday. According to the police, the incident, which happened on Sunday, posed a risk to public safety and required immediate action. “The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained, for further investigation, Habeeb Hamzat aka ‘PELLER’, subsequent to…
Read More
Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Cessna 172 Aircraft Crashes At Owerri Airport

Cessna 172 Aircraft Crashes At Owerri Airport

Mishap, News Flash, Transportation
Cessna 172 Aircraft Crashes At Owerri Airport A Cessna 172 aircraft operated by Skypower Express crashed on Tuesday evening at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State, prompting an immediate response from airport emergency services. The aircraft, with nationality and registration marks 5N-ASR, was originally en route from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew declared an emergency, forcing a diversion to Owerri. The aircraft crashed in the approach area of Runway 17 around 8:00 p.m. local time. Four people were on board, and no fatalities have been reported so far. According to the Nigerian…
Read More
Dec
17
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Gov. Otti Signs Into Law, Unveils Abia State 25-Years Development Plan – 2025-2050

Gov. Otti Signs Into Law, Unveils Abia State 25-Years Development Plan – 2025-2050

Abia State, Good Governance, Infrastructure, News Flash
GOV. OTTI SIGNS INTO LAW, UNVEILS ABIA STATE 25-YEARS DEVELOPMENT PLAN - 2025-2050. Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, has signed into law and officially unveiled the Abia State 25-Years Development Plan with assurances of its sustainability over the period of the plan. Unveiling the plan aimed at lasting from 2025 to 2050, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, the State Chief Executive, said that, the plan is a holistic development framework upon which the State's policy direction and resource allocation outlook will be evaluated. "The 25-Years Abia State Development Plan, which we have signed into law and unveiled,…
Read More
Dec
15
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Forests, Fortune, And Power: The Dark Political Economy Of Violence, Exploitation And Insecurity In Nigeria – By Prof. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Forests, Fortune, And Power: The Dark Political Economy Of Violence, Exploitation And Insecurity In Nigeria – By Prof. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke

Economy, Columns/Opinions/Letters
FORESTS, FORTUNE, AND POWER: THE DARK POLITICAL ECONOMY OF VIOLENCE, EXPLOITATION AND INSECURITY IN NIGERIA Across Nigeria, the intersection of forests, fortune, and power has evolved into a shadow political economy where violence, criminal enterprise, and institutional weakness reinforce one another. Forests—once symbols of cultural heritage, biodiversity, and livelihood—have increasingly become theatres of kidnapping, banditry, and organised crime. This transformation is not accidental. It reflects how geography, poverty, governance failures, and profit incentives converge to create zones of impunity. Nigeria’s security leadership has openly acknowledged the strategic role forests play in sustaining criminal operations. The Chief of Defence Staff, General…
Read More
Dec
15
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Four Killed, 20 Worshippers Kidnapped As Gunmen Attack Kogi Communities On Sunday

Four Killed, 20 Worshippers Kidnapped As Gunmen Attack Kogi Communities On Sunday

Crime, News Flash, North Central, Security
Four Killed, 20 Worshippers Kidnapped As Gunmen Attack Kogi Communities Armed gunmen on Sunday attacked the First ECWA Church in Ayetoro-Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one person and abducting 20 others. This is coming as gunmen in a coordinated attack on the same day attacked the Oke-Agi and Ilai communities in the Mopamuro local government councils of Kogi State, killing three persons and abducting many. The attack at ECWA church in Aiyetoro-Kiri left one worshipper, simply identified as Jayjay, dead during the assault. Local authorities and security operatives said they will continue to assess the situation,…
Read More
Dec
15
2025
0 Comments
By Abia ThinkTank
Filling Stations To Sell Petrol At N739 From Tuesday – Dangote

Filling Stations To Sell Petrol At N739 From Tuesday – Dangote

News Flash, Economy, Oil & Gas
Filling Stations To Sale Petrol At N739 From Tuesday – Dangote Barring any last-minute change, MRS and other partners of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are set to begin selling petrol at N739 per litre. This comes two days after the refinery slashed its petrol gantry price from N828 to N699 per litre. Speaking at a press briefing at the Lekki refinery on Sunday, the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said he was aware that despite lower gantry prices, some filling stations often choose to keep pump prices high, thereby sabotaging his efforts. According to him, MRS would…
Read More