Columns/Opinions/Letters

Abia Smart Schools: How Governor Otti Is Redefining the Future of Education in Abia By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD The recent commissioning of the Ogbo Central Smart School, Ubakala, by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has provided a clear picture of Governor Alex Otti’s deliberate and strategic efforts to reposition education in Abia State. The event marked another milestone in the administration’s commitment to building a future where every Abia child has access to quality education, digital skills and the tools required to compete in a rapidly changing world. Speaking during the commissioning, the Minister praised Governor Otti’s…

GADA MOVES TO PREVENT BUILDING COLLAPSE IN ABA, EVACUATES RESIDENTS FROM COMPROMISED FOUR STOREY BUILDING The Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) has taken swift action following the discovery of a visible crack on a four storey building located at No. 71 Clifford Road, Aba, with the evacuation of occupants and commencement of safety measures to prevent any possible disaster. The Authority’s Building Control Unit, Engineering Department and Town Planning Department promptly responded to the situation and carried out a preliminary inspection of the affected building. Findings from the inspection revealed extensive cracks around the foundation of the structure, indicating that…

BEYOND ROADS AND BRIDGES: GOVERNOR OTTI’S EMERGING HUMAN-CAPITAL LEGACY By AProf. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke Development is often measured by what citizens can immediately see: reconstructed roads, modern bridges, public buildings, streetlights and transport terminals. These are important. However, the deeper test of governance is whether physical infrastructure is being complemented by deliberate investments in people, knowledge, leadership, creativity and public order. Recent developments in Abia State point to a broader development strategy gradually taking shape under Governor Alex Otti. The emerging picture is not limited to roads and bridges. It includes technology-driven education, youth leadership development, promotion of the creative…

STOP MISLEADING THE PUBLIC: THE ABIA HOTELS STORY IS AN ALLEGATION, NOT A COURT VERDICT The report on Abia Hotels is presented as though illegality has already been established. It has not. What the publication contains is largely the account and accusations of Investment Guarantee Limited. No judgment, restraining order, inventory report, valuation certificate, police report or documentary evidence establishing the alleged “illegal sale of over ₦600 million assets” was reproduced. Here are the major holes and half-truths: IT CONCEALS THE CENTRAL ISSUE: THE HOTEL IS AN ABIA STATE ASSET Investment Guarantee Limited was not the original owner of Abia…

TO THOSE STILL QUESTIONING THE FACTS ABOUT THE ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT HOUSE… CAN WE NOW REST? 🤣😂 They said there was no construction.They said it was propaganda.They said the Government House existed only on social media. Now the Honourable Minister of Education has physically toured the ongoing Governor’s Office and Governor’s Lodge, while workers were visibly on site. What shall we call this one again—computer-generated scaffolding? Imported workers? Or an imaginary building captured by a real camera? 🤣🤣 The structure is rising. The evidence is visible. The doubters are now searching for another complaint. Abia is working. Facts do not…

WHO IS AFRAID OF AI-ASSISTED FACT-CHECKING? A new discipline is quietly changing public debate: AI-assisted digital verification, also called computational fact-checking. It combines artificial intelligence, internet search, document analysis, data comparison, image examination and source tracing to test claims against available evidence. For decades, misinformation prospered because verification was slow. A person could manufacture a quotation, remove a statement from context, confuse a proposed budget with actual expenditure, recycle an old photograph or present an allegation as an established fact. Before the truth travelled through libraries, archives and government records, the lie had already toured WhatsApp, Facebook and political meetings.…

FACT-CHECK: WHEN PROPAGANDA FAILS BASIC ARITHMETIC 🤣😂 Doc Paul Chijindu’s post is not an audit. It is a mixture of unrelated figures, unidentified photographs and emotional insults presented as accountability. First, the government did not claim that ₦82 billion was spent on 54 smart schools. Abia’s official smart-school programme involves 20 schools across the 17 local government areas, not 54. Proof:https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/807520-abia-govt-firm-sign-agreement-to-establish-20-smart-schools.html The figure “54” referred to schools still undergoing renovation out of 63 schools being worked on. Nine had reportedly been completed, while 54 were at different stages of completion. That is not the same as 54 smart schools. Proof:https://nationalambassadorngr.com/abia-govt-reports-progress-on-model-schools-road-projects-others/…