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Gov Uzodinma presents 18 months scorecard before Imo Assembly

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The Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, has presented his eighteen-month stewardship of his second term in office before the State House of Assembly, highlighting some of his achievements so far.

Addressing the state lawmakers on the floor of the House, the governor gave an account of his stewardship, asserting that his administration has built a new Imo the citizens should be proud of.

Giving an account of his first year in office to the eighteen months of his second tenure, Uzodinma expressed satisfaction that he has placed Imo on what he described as an irreversible path of sustainable development.

He described his administration as people-oriented and anchored on transparency and accountability.

Uzodinma explained that he chose to present the address to brief the members of the House and the public on the progress his government has made since assuming office, particularly in the second term.

In a speech that lasted several hours, the governor highlighted his achievements, from education to health, digital economy, and road infrastructure, emphasising that his programmes and policies are the results of careful planning.

He noted that although he met a state under the spell of institutional decay and infrastructural deficits, he set to work determined to ensure that the people were offered quality and accountable governance.

Uzodinma also disclosed that his focus on workers’ welfare, including the prompt payment of salaries and pensions and the recent clearance of the pension backlog, was aimed at ensuring that the economy of the state remains people-friendly.

He expressed satisfaction that the administration’s road revolution, the revamping of the health and education sectors, and the recent successes recorded in the digital economy and technology have positively impacted the citizens of the state.

The governor also listed the Light Up Imo project as a revolutionary step taken by his administration to accelerate the economic development of the state.

“When a State has steady power, motorable roads, skilled youth, and pro-business policies, it doesn’t beg for investment. It becomes the destination of choice for investors,” he said.

The state’s number one citizen also maintained that when the dredging of Oguta Lake to the Atlantic Ocean project is completed, it will further aid the economic advancement of the state.

He expressed optimism that the steps taken so far in the economic sector will certainly lead the state to its destination of becoming the business hub of the Southeast region.

The governor hinted that his 28 months of piloting the affairs of the state have been filled with fulfilled moments, asserting that he has used the period under review to achieve much for the state, notably the Assumpta Flyover, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre, roads, and improvements to Imo Airport, leading to its recent international flight operations.

He further disclosed that his administration has reduced the state’s debt profile from N259 billion in 2020 to N99 billion in 2025, while the internally generated revenue has grown from N400 million in 2020 to nearly N4 billion in 2025.

Uzodinma attributed this achievement to his government’s prudence in financial management.

While expressing gratitude to the people of the state for their support, the governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to delivering good governance.

He also expressed appreciation to members of the State House of Assembly for granting him audience and for their prompt passage of executive bills, which he said have made it easier for his administration to deliver on its mandate.

Earlier, in his address, the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Chike Olemgbe, thanked the governor for making time to address the House.

He stated that the legislature, as an independent arm of government, will always ensure a harmonious relationship exists between it and other arms, especially the Executive, while remaining true to its constitutional mandate of lawmaking.

The Speaker affirmed that the paramount task before the Assembly is to ensure that the state succeeds in offering effective governance to its citizens.

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Politics

Alleged N110.4bn Fraud: Yahaya Bello Loses Bid for Overseas Medical Trip

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Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, struck out an application by the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, for the release of his passport to enable him travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu before Justice Anineh on a 16-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4 billion.

 

At the last sitting, Bello, through his counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, had made an application, dated June 19, 2025 and filed on June 20, 2025, praying for a temporary release of his passport to enable him attend a scheduled medical appointment in the United Kingdom, with an undertaking to return the passport to the court upon his return.

 

In his response to the application, prosecution counsel, Chukwudi Enebeli, SAN, however, urged the court to refuse the request, arguing that the application was aimed at altering the bail conditions the court imposed on the defendant, which required him to deposit his passport with the court.

 

He further argued that the defendant’s sureties ought to have been put on notice to confirm their continued willingness or not to remain as sureties if the defendant was permitted to travel out of the country.

 

The prosecution counsel further submitted that the defendant had engaged in abuse of court process by filing a similar application in another court, which was still pending.

 

“The proper thing would have been for the defendant to retrieve his passport from the other court and then apply for a travel permit before this court. Asking both courts to release the same passport at the same time creates the risk of conflicting orders, which is an abuse of process,” he said.

 

At the resumed sitting on Thursday, prosecution counsel, Jami’u Agburo, informed the court that the matter was for ruling on the application and that the prosecution was ready.

 

In her ruling, Justice Anineh held that her court lacked the jurisdiction to grant the application since the defendant’s passport was not held by her court.

 

“A review of the court’s record revealed that the applicant had previously been ordered to deposit his passport and other travel documents with the registry of the court. However, upon further inquiry and search conducted by the court, it was discovered that the said passport was not presently in the custody of the court’s registry but with the Federal High Court. The defendant even deposed to an affidavit himself, stating that his passport had been deposited with the Federal High Court in a bail earlier granted him.

 

“The simple logic is that the passport cannot be with two different courts at the same time. Since the defendant admitted depositing the passport with the Federal High Court, there is no reason making any order here in regards to the application. Courts don’t make orders in vain and as such, this court will not make any order that will be in vain since the passport in issue is not with this court but the Federal High Court,” she said.

She adjourned the case till October 8, 9 and November 13, 2025, for continuation of trial.

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Buhari did not loot Nigeria’s treasury – Akpabio

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio has lauded the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a leader who served Nigeria without embezzling the nation’s treasury.

Akpabio made the remarks on Thursday at an expanded Federal Executive Council meeting held in Abuja in honour of Buhari.

The President of the Senate noted that even the former president’s critics would concede that he did not misappropriate public funds while in office.

He said, “Let us be honest, he was tough. He was a soldier who did not flinch under fire, a leader who did not flee from responsibility, and above all, a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for sale.

“His toughness was born not out of pride but of a patriotism, a fierce, unrelenting belief that Nigeria, with all its challenges, was still worth fighting for. And yet some disagree with him.

“That is the nature of democracy. But even his fiercest critics will admit that he did not pilfer the nation’s boss, nor pander to its pleasures to the very end.”

Present at the special FEC meeting were members of the National Assembly leadership, ministers, governors, and the children of the late leader, led by his son, Yusuf.

The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State further stated that Buhari sought duty when others sought glory, describing him as a leader who did not flee from challenges.

“President Buhari did not merely pass through the corridors of power; he left his boots and imprints in them. He believed that discipline mattered, that integrity mattered, that leadership, even when lonely, must be anchored on something greater than power,” he added.

Ekwutosblog reports that Buhari served as military Head of State between 1983 and 1985 and as a civilian president for eight years, from 2015 to 2023.

He died on Sunday at a clinic in London at the age of 82 and was buried in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State.

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2027: Attempts to divide Tinubu, Shettima will fail – Group warns political detractors

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The Northern Vanguard, NV, a political advocacy group based in Abuja, has issued a stern warning to those attempting to create a rift between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, ahead of 2027.

In a statement on Thursday, Edward Gulak, President of the Northern Vanguard, called on political detractors “to cease the orchestrated campaign of discord” aimed at weakening the cordial, productive working relationship between the country’s two topmost leaders.

Gulak described the current atmosphere in the presidency as one of “uncommon loyalty, harmony, and shared vision,” adding that any attempt to drive a wedge between Tinubu and Shettima was “not only mischievous but deeply unpatriotic.”

He described Shettima as not just experienced, but someone who truly understands Nigeria’s challenges in security, the economy, and regional issues.

Gulak warned that any attempt to create problems between Tinubu and Shettima will be strongly resisted by Nigerians who want peace and stable leadership.

He said Nigerians are tired of political drama, they want results, and that’s what Tinubu and Shettima are delivering. Dividing them, he said, would harm the nation.

The group believes their partnership is a rare chance for long-term political stability and commended Shettima for staying loyal, mature, and focused on his duties.

They also urged the media and public commentators not to fall for tricks or fake crises pushed by people with selfish motives.

As the 2027 elections approach, the group called on all politicians to focus on building the country, not spreading division.

“This government needs unity, not distractions. Nigerians are watching, and history won’t be kind to those who try to sabotage progress.”

“We are aware that some political merchants, driven by envy and personal bitterness, are hoping to manufacture a rift between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima in order to destabilise this administration ahead of 2027,” he said.

“These rogue elements are disappointed that the President and his Vice are working in seamless unity, and unlike what played out between former President Obasanjo and his then Vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the relationship between Tinubu and Shettima has remained unshakeable, fortified by mutual respect and purpose,” he added.

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