Columns/Opinions/Letters

WETIN CONCERN ME? TECHRISE SERIES AND THE COMMON MAN ON THE STREET By Prof. Chukwuemeka Ifegwu Eke There is a question that rises from the street whenever government announces a programme with big English, big banners, big ceremonies and big promises. It is not always asked in anger. Sometimes, it is asked in confusion. Sometimes, it is asked in poverty. Sometimes, it is asked from the mind of a young man who has searched for work until his shoes have become tired. Sometimes, it is asked by a woman in the market who does not hate technology but simply does…

WHEN ARITHMETIC CATCHES FEVER, PROPAGANDA CALLS IT ACCOUNTABILITY Some people now wake up, invent their own road-cost formula, divide public expenditure by fantasy kilometres, and call the result “facts.” Wonderful. So because someone wrote ₦250 billion, he has suddenly become the World Bank, Julius Berger, Ministry of Works, quantity surveyor, civil engineer and asphalt prophet in one Facebook post. He says ₦250 billion “should have delivered 250km of virgin roads.” According to who? According to TikTok engineering? According to beer-parlour procurement mathematics? According to the same people who watched Abia roads collapse for years and suddenly discovered “international standard” after…

THE BRIDGE OF HOPE: LINKING TWO STATES, TWO DESTINIES AND TWO ECONOMIC FUTURES A bridge is never just a bridge. In the life of a community, a bridge is memory, movement, market, family, security, livelihood and hope. It is the quiet infrastructure that allows a farmer to reach the market, a trader to reach customers, a child to reach school, a patient to reach care, a family to remain connected, and an economy to breathe. This is why the bridge linking the Arochukwu axis of Abia State to Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State must be understood beyond…

A PANORAMIC SERIES ON THE NEW ABIA GOVERNMENT @3: The Rise and Rise of God's Own State. By Engr. Chief Odo Ijere Light eventually came at the end of the tunnel for Abia State with the inauguration on the 29th of May, 2023, of Governor Dr. Alex Otti of Labor Party. A combination of factors and political coalition across the state played out during the election to outplay and overwhelm the incumbent PDP government in the state. The political tsunami during the election occasioned by the Obidients, the civil servants, market women, civil society organizations, social media roller-coaster, youth and…

HAS ABIA REALLY IMPROVED UNDER GOVERNOR ALEX OTTI? The answer is YES — and the evidence is visible. GOVERNOR ALEX OTTI’S 3-YEAR PERFORMANCE SCORECARDMAY 2023 – MAY 2026 OVERALL RATING: VERY GOODSCORE: 85% ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE — VERY GOODGovernor Otti has completed 414 road projects covering about 864.12km across Abia State, with another 82 roads of about 212km under construction. This is not propaganda; it is measurable infrastructure. 0 HEALTHCARE — VERY GOODThe administration recruited 821 healthcare professionals, with 771 already deployed, while 277 primary healthcare centres have been retrofitted, including 121 already functionalised. Over 93,000 residents have also enrolled in…

Odinkalu: 'Otti Has Restored Dignity, Hope and Trust in Governance' By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD When renowned human rights lawyer, activist and former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, declared on Thursday, 28th May, 2026, that Governor Alex Otti’s leadership should serve as a reference point for governance in Nigeria, he was acknowledging what many now describe as the rebirth of Abia State. Speaking at the Abia Anniversary Lecture held at the International Conference Centre, Ogurube, Umuahia, Prof. Odinkalu noted that Governor Otti restored legitimacy, dignity, hope and public trust in governance after years of what he…

‘Nnenaya Oti Saved Abia in 2023,’ Says Gov. Otti •••Abians Celebrate Outgoing FUTO Vice Chancellor •••More Road Projects Commissioned in Umuahia By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD What many Abians now celebrate as the rebirth of Abia State may never have happened if Professor Nnenna Oti had failed to stand on the side of truth at a defining moment in the political history of the State. For Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, the story of Abia’s transformation did not begin with the construction of roads, transport terminals, urban renewal projects, or the restoration of public confidence in governance. According to him, it…

Otti's Bond with Aba Residents …Why the governor continues to win hearts across Enyimba City By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD The relationship between Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, and the people of Aba has continued to attract attention across Abia State. Beyond politics and campaign promises, many residents believe that the growing support enjoyed by the governor is rooted in visible development, renewed public confidence, and deliberate efforts to restore Aba to its place as a leading commercial and entrepreneurial city. For years, Aba, popularly known as Enyimba City, struggled with infrastructure collapse, environmental degradation, insecurity, flooding, poor road networks, and…