Columns/Opinions/Letters

EKE O. AKO: WHEN ONE FAMILY HOLIDAY BECOMES AN “ABIA DEVELOPMENT INDEX” 😂 Engr. Eke O. Ako, this latest intervention deserves attention—not because it is a rigorous assessment of Abia State, but because it is an almost perfect example of how one man’s personal experience can be dressed up as statewide development analysis. You brought your children home, travelled from Abuja to your village, observed conditions around your immediate community, and from that family experience effectively pronounced judgment on Abia. Very emotional. Very touching. But, sir, A FAMILY CHRISTMAS VISIT IS NOT A DEVELOPMENT SURVEY. 😂 You are publicly identified…

One Roofer, One Photograph, One Sweeping Verdict: How a PHC Renovation Was Turned into “Evidence loof Fraud” The latest photograph being circulated as supposed proof that the Abia State Government merely “repainted” Primary Healthcare Centres is a good illustration of how a limited visual can be stretched into a sweeping political conclusion. The photograph shows a building undergoing roof work. That is all the photograph proves. It does not show the identity of the facility, the original condition of the building, the full scope of the contract, the internal works carried out, the equipment supplied, the plumbing or electrical rehabilitation,…

Abia @35: Redefining the Future of God’s Own State with Thanksgiving By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD As Abia State marks its 35th anniversary, the decision by the State Government to commence the celebrations with an Interdenominational Service is not only appropriate but deeply significant. It provides Abians an opportunity to pause, reflect on the journey of the state, give thanks to God for His grace and seek divine guidance as the state advances towards a brighter future. The service, scheduled for Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the Okpara Square Event Centre in Umuahia, offers a fitting platform for collective thanksgiving and…

Abia TechRise: How Otti Is Equipping Young People For The Future By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD The graduation of the third cohort of the TechRise ICT Skills Development Programme has further demonstrated Governor Alex Otti’s deliberate strategy of preparing Abia’s young people for an increasingly technology driven global economy. Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Umuahia on Friday, August 21, 2026, Governor Otti described the future as the product of today’s choices, investments and preparations, making a compelling case for why Abia must invest in knowledge and technological skills rather than wait for the disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to…

When Facts Become Inconvenient: The Politics of Manufacturing Scandals in Abia By AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke There is an emerging pattern in the political conversation around Abia State that deserves closer attention. Every major project is increasingly approached from the standpoint of suspicion, every institutional success is interpreted as evidence of hidden interest, and every professional relationship is stretched until it begins to resemble a conspiracy. This is not the same thing as accountability. Accountability begins with questions and proceeds to evidence. Propaganda begins with a conclusion and then searches desperately for fragments that can be arranged to support it.…

Otti’s Masterstroke: From ABSUTH’s New Synergy to a Brighter Future for ABSU Why the Governor’s CONMESS Directive, Board–Management Cooperation and Welfare-First Approach Offer a New Template for Institutional Stability By AProf Chukwuemeka Ifegwu EkeEconomist, Public Policy Analyst and Associate Professor of Economics Governor Alex Otti’s meeting with the Board and Management of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital on August 20, 2026 may ultimately prove to be far more important than an ordinary presentation of a progress report. Beneath the statistics, requests and administrative exchanges was the emergence of something Abia’s public institutions have desperately needed for years: a functioning…