Zik FM 96.3 Head of Station, Ozioma Onwuka-Okereke, passes away - ITREALMS

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The media industry in Nigeria is mourning the loss of veteran journalist and broadcaster, Comrade Ozioma Onwuka-Okereke, the Head of Station at Zik FM 96.3 Radio in Umuahia. She passed away on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, reports ITREALMS.

This sad development was confirmed by Zik FM's Chairman/CEO, Isaac Okorafor, in a press statement available to ITREALMS on Thursday. He described her death as a significant loss for both the station and the wider media community.

FirstBank branch, head office, not sealed - ITREALMS

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FirstBank Nigeria plc has said that none if its branches or head office was sealed by anybody or organisation, reports ITREALMS.

The bank in a press statement available to 
ITREALMS stated that their attention have been drawn to the news reports online with the conflicting claims that FirstBank branch or/head office has been sealed.

Bolarinwa emerges president of ACAMB - ITREALMS

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The Head of Corporate Communications at Polaris Bank, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, has emerged as the new president of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), reports ITREALMS.

New ACAMB executive till 2024

Bolarinwa-led executive committee was elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of ACAMB held on Thursday, January 19, 2022, at the Bankers’ House, CIBN Building, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Pro-freedom leaders head to Rome for CitizensGO Summer School - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

The third summer school organized by the CitizensGO is headed to the city of Italy in Rome in partnership with the Leadership Institute, reports ITRealms.

The Summer School slated for July 3 through 6 with emphasis on participation, training, and networking of young pro-life, pro-family, and pro-freedom leaders. 

A public statement from CitizensGO and made available to ITRealms, informed “We will talk about the most relevant challenges to our values, including gender ideology, attacks on marriage and the family, the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, and the violation of freedom of opinion in the West.”

ITRealms gathered that during the Summer School students and participants from around the world will learn how to improve their advocacy skills through full-immersion training and networking with influential pro-life and pro-family leaders.

Also, ITRealms gathered that topics that would be discussed include communication strategy, the values-driven audience, judgments and choices, identity as message, messaging toolkit, storytelling: connecting with people who share your values, television interview techniques, producing compelling video (to better distribute your messages), working with the media, etc.

Imagine the huge benefit that you and I, as citizengoers, get from a programme such as this and contact with people (especially young people) from all over the world who are training along with us to spread the values that you and I defend.

“We who build communities (this is why I am writing to you and asking you for help) will ensure that highly-skilled speakers promote the values that you and I defend as citizengoers. And this way your voice, and mine, and that of those who defend life, family and freedom, will be stronger, spread farther ... and fulfill what we set out to do: spread the word, spread this message and share.”

 Nonye Dom/GEE

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Moghalu, joins UNWFP to head communications, advocacy

ITREALMS:

Nigerian season brand communicator, Mr Chinedu Moghalu, has been appointed the Senior Communications Specialist cum Head, Communications & Advocacy for the Johannesburg, South Africa-based Africa Risk Capacity / United Nations World Food Programme, reports ITRealms.

The African Risk Capacity, ITRealms gathered, is a specialised agency of the African Union which provides capacity building services for early warning, contingency planning and risk finance towards protecting the livelihoods of their vulnerable citizens against the impact of natural disasters through home-grown, innovative, cost-effective, timely and sustainable solutions.

Moghalu, ITRealms also gathered resumed since March in his latest position and will be leading efforts to ensure that the work of ARC in responding to the challenges of climate change and natural disaster risk management is strategically communicated to the Member States and the international community in a way that secures commitment and boosts resource mobilization.

Before now, Mr. Moghalu, at various times, served as the Regional Head of Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) for the Southeast and Delta states in Nigeria; the Head of the Corporate Communication Division at its headquarters in Abuja.

Prior to NEXIM Bank, Moghalu had over 10 years with various United Nations agencies, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

ITRealms recalls that Chinedu Moghalu holds a M.Sc. degree in Communications for Development, and other degrees in Political Science, and Law from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and University of Lagos, in Nigeria.

Further, Mr. Moghalu is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, International Public Relations Association (IPRA), and sits on the Board of the Chigari Foundation.

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ICANN60: Global Internet Stakeholders head to Abu Dhabi

ITRealms:

All is now set for the 60^th public meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) tagged ‘ICANN60’ slated to hold in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 28 October to 3 November, reports ITRealms.

ICANN60, ITRealms gathered, is hosted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

ITRealms reports that the meeting will bring together global stakeholders from government, business, civil society, non-government organizations, research institutions, technical communities and others. The sessions will enable discussions on a broad range of Internet-related topics and inform the audience on latest issues of concern to the stakeholders. The meeting will be a platform for developing policies for the Domain Name System.

The opening ceremony, ITRealms also gathered has been billed for 30 October, with H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of UAE, ICANN Board Chair Dr. Stephen Crocker and ICANN President and CEO Göran Marby addressing the audience.

“They will provide a high-level overview of what is expected to take place throughout the meeting,” said Luna Madi, Communications Director for ICANN at Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Gobir cries for justice, says ‘I raised over N2bn for Afromedia’

ITRealms:

The erstwhile director and head, Business Development Committee at the Board of Directors of Afromedia Plc, Nigeria's foremost outdoor advertising company, Alhaji Mohammed Gobir has decried his recent arrest by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikoyi, Lagos and denied all allegations of corporate fraud against him by leadership of Afromedia, insisting he made over N2bn for the company, reports ITRealms.

Recall that on Satuday, September 12 2015, Alhaji Gobir had unwanted visit in the name of EFCC operatives assaulted his person with arrest.

In a chat with the media, Gobie is also demanding justice, while maintaining his position that he deserves commendation rather than condemnation and linkage to 419, lamenting he was not given responder opportunity before the public court, especially the print media took delight in the story.

A press statement made available to ITRealms by his media aides, Gobir denied any linkage with 419, saying he was still at lost over the issue at the time of going to the press. Wondering how he would place estimated 30 years of doing business in Nigeria on the altar of 419.

Stressing that he has never been indicted, “has never been arraigned for any criminal offense, he has never been involved in fraud. Why would he now, at the height of his professional and business life be involved in '419' or what they called 'corporate fraud?”

Gobir insisted that he has been a credible businessman and contractor to Federal Ministries, Parastatals, Military and state Governments over the years.

Part of the statement read: “It is this background in business with extensive contacts that earned him the recommendation to join the board of Afromedia in 2009 at the time the company was raising funds to enhance its operations.

“He was specifically invited because of his network and goodwill which Afromediaidentified and needed at the time to obtain big accounts.

“And Gobir did not disappoint. He says from the period he joined the board of Afromediain 2009 till the time of his resignation in 2013, he brought in business worth at least N2 billion for the company. 

“He also got Afromedia to set up a regulatory framework for outdoor advertising in FCT, Abuja, similar to the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA). 

“It is in this context that one can understand the current travail of Alhaji Gobir. The EFCC, acting on the instruction of Mr. Akin Olopade, Group Managing Director of Afromedia, accused Gobir of illegally collecting $3,500,000, N514,457,151.87, $2,102,740 and 51,000 Pounds Sterling at various times through a phony investment deal.

“The answer to this is simple, Gobir said. As somebody in charge of business development, his main duty was to secure high level business opportunities for the company. It was on this basis that in one of the several private meetings he held with Olopade, both men agreed on the possibility of the company exploring and receiving capital investments following the melt down in the Nigerian stock market. 

"In accessing the capital investment, money was required to process and access the fund of which part of the sum was expended by Mr. Olopade who later turned around and requested for refunds of which several payments were made in repayment to him (Mr Olopade.)” Gobir said.

In addition, Gobir said both him and Olopade disagreed on the arrears to be paid as the figures were incorrect, and Olopade did not want to deduct earlier repayments from the total sum, therefore, reaching a deadlock. 

“That was the main issue in contention,” Gobir sources said, pointing out that Olopade even got mutual friends involved in the matter.

“While that was ongoing, EFCC operatives arrived that Saturday, September 12 and whisked Gobir away for interrogation, accusing him of "corporate fraud" and "419".

Gobir insisted, he was not in a transaction with Afromedia, who wrote the petition and took him to EFCC. Whereas, he did not obtain any loan whatsoever from Afromedia, nor was he in a transaction with the company.” 

His dealings, Gobir contended were personal with Olopade, “the Group Managing Director of Afromedia, with whom he wrote the agreement and whom had received repayments of over 120m via bank transfers and foreign exchange cash form lodgments into his personal accounts. 

“How could this have been 'corporate fraud' when I was dealing with, and making repayments to an individual who changed his mind to carry through a business and wanted his money back. “Would any fraudulent person, make repayments when you want to end a transaction; The next day I was in the media, condemned, and judged without any hearing" Gobir laments.

Further, Gobir said he never met Olopade before then but that once they met in the company, a deep friendship developed between them.

“That friendship has been seriously injured if not destroyed. Gobir is hurt, aggrieved, bitter, and feels betrayed. I need justice", he demanded.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

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Insurgency, crude oil top reasons US set to lift arms embargo on Nigeria

ITRealms:

Head of the United States Congress Committee delegation on Judiciary to Nigeria, Mr. Darrel Issa, said his country may be considering lifting its arms embargo on Nigeria soon, ITRealms reports.

Issa was interacting with the press after meeting with the nation’s defence and military chiefs at the National Defence College, Abuja, recently. He said that military chiefs and the American delegation talked elaborately on the issue of an enlarged support in the area of aerial surveillance critical to the fight against the insurgency and the theft of the nation’s crude oil resources, ITRealms also reports.

Issa said the US had commenced the process of lifting the restrictions of the Leahy Law on Nigeria because of the recent moves to professionalize the military by the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs.

Besides, he stated that the US was relying on President MohammaduBuhari and the military chiefs to rebuild the trust of Nigerians in the military as an institution that would protect the citizenry.

The Leahy Law, ITRealms gathered, is a human rights law of the US, which prevents the State Department and the Department of Defense from selling arms and ammunition to countries whose militaries are believed to have committed brazen acts of rights violation.

The Punch report said the refusal of the US Government to sell arms to the country because of the Leahy Amendment, forced the country, under President Goodluck Jonathan, to explore other options including the black market to get desperately needed arms and ammunition to halt the advances of the Boko Haram in 2014.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 
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Nigerian Dr. Nwankpa heads ECE dept @ Drexel University

ITRealms:

A Nigerian professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Chika Nwankpa, has been appointed Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Drexel University in the United States, reports ITRealms. 

Dean, College of Engineering, Drexel University, Dr. Joseph B. Hughes, affirmed this in a public statement sighted by ITRealms, saying that Dr. Chika Nwankpa has been with Drexel since 1990, starting as an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He became an Associate Professor in 1995 and a Full Professor in 2002. 

Dr. Nwankpa, ITRealms gathered, earned his M.Engr.Sc. from St. Petersburg Polytechnic State University in Russia and a Ph.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, Illinois and has been serving as Interim Department Head for the last 11 months.

According to the dean, Dr. Nwankpa until his present appointment has been serving as the Director for the Center for Electric Power Engineering (CEPE), which supports the research and instructional program of Drexel University in academic areas associated with electric energy and power.  

In pursuit of these goals, Hughes said, the CEPE works with electric utilities, state and federal agencies, private industries, nonprofit organizations and other universities on a wide spectrum of projects.  He has been involved in investigating nonlinear dynamics associated with power systems and electronics leading to the development of stochastic models representative of energy consumption and renewable energy sources. 

ITRealms also reports that Dr. Nwankpa’s work has led to development of novel real-time computation techniques that capture these dynamics.

“The importance of this work lies in the ability to lower energy costs. The benefit to society will be an infrastructure characterized by lower energy costs with increased security and sustainable and secure multiple energy-type delivery systems,” Dr. Hughes said.

An author of some 47 refereed journal papers and 125 conference papers, Dr. Nwankpa has been the result of work that has been supported by grants totaling over $10 million, about N1.9 billion.

Decorated previously with the prestigious Presidential Faculty Fellow Award, Dr. Nwankpa was elected Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an honor reserved for 1 per cent of over 400,000 members.

ITRealms further gathered that the ECE department has an enrollment of 842 undergraduate and 161 graduate students, with Dr. Nwankpa depicting exceptional leadership as interim department head and is well deserving of this permanent position.

“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Nwankpa and wishing him well in his new role,” Dr. Hughes said.

@Uju N. Dominic +ITRealms DSA +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

 

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Pix: Dr. Chika Nwankpa, courtesy, Dexel University.