Abuja groups unveil funeral programme for late Barrister Princess Nwamaka Chigbo - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Major professional and religious groups have rolled out a comprehensive programme of activities to honour the late Barrister Princess Mediatrix Nwamaka Chigbo in Abuja, prior to the conveyance of her remains to her home state, Anambra, for final interment, reports ITREALMS.

Barrister Chigbo, a renowned Abuja-based lawyer, was brutally murdered by kidnappers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on January 5, 2026.

Deadly clash between rival bandit groups leaves scores killed in Zamfara - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Scores of bandits have been killed in a clash between rival bandit groups in Between near Mada on the road Gusau and Tsafe LGA in Zamfara State.

Zagazola Makama understand that the violent confrontation on Sunday morning, instigated by two infamous bandit groups of Kachallah Mai Yankuzu and Dogo Bali, marked one the bloodiest encounters in the prolonged feud between the two factions.

Women groups applaud Gov. Abiodun's appointment of Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) and other women groups have applauded Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for the appointment of Hon. Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo as the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state.

The Founding Director, WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi in the appreciation message to the Governor on behalf of other women groups said Adeleye-Oladapo’s appointment was indeed a round peg in a round hole.

Groups write Buhari on OPL 245 development, urged FG to join as Injured Party - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Three Civil Society International and local Groups - ReCommon, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) and Corner House have jointly written to President Buhari on the recent developments with regards to the various court proceedings relating to the corrupt award in 2011 of the OPL 245 Oil field to Eni and Shell, calling on the government to fight the corruption.

In a letter dated 4th of November 2022 addressed to President Muhammdu Buhari, titled Recent Developments on OPL 245, highlighted some positive developments and also set priorities for the federal government in demanding justice from the OPL245 deal.

FGN accuses Nigerians in diaspora of funding secessionist groups - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Federal Government of Nigeria has accused some Nigerians in Diaspora of funding secessionist groups, reports ITREALMS.

The government made this accusation through the Federal Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed during an audience he granted members of the United Kingdom (UK) chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Abuja, Tuesday.

Civil society groups endorse Sanwo-Olu for 2019 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Some civil society groups in Lagos State have endorsed the gubernatorial aspiration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for the 2019 governorship election in the centre of excellence, reports ITREALMS.

Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Humanity Services Project (HSP), Centre for 21st Century Issues (C2CI), United Action for Democracy (UAD) and Free Bond Labour Services (FBLS) were amongst the seventy (70) groups that gave their commitment to support Sanwo-Olu for victory in the coming election.

The groups said their decision to endorse the APC candidate was premised on the outcome of the integrity test conducted on all the gubernatorial candidates in the State, in which Sanwo-Olu trounced other contenders in all the parameters used by the organisations.

The leader of the groups, Comrade Rasaq Olokoba, speaking at an interactive session with Sanwo-Olu on Thursday, stated that the candidate symbolized the progressive thinking and yearnings of the generality of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Lagos State. He added that Lagos State was clearly on another journey of social justice, welfarism and good governance.

"There is a resolve that Lagos State will never fall in the hands of reactionary leaders. What we have witnessed is successive progressive government in this State. So we are very delighted that a great leader like Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is the candidate of the APC. We know his contributions to progressive movement and the less privileged of the society, who are the major interests of all of us here. We want a government that will listen to and answer the cries of the people with little or no voice in the society.

"So we are very convinced that Sanwo-Olu is the answer. He has overwhelmingly surpassed other candidates in our integrity test. That's the reason we are openly endorsing him and giving our commitment to his victory in the coming election. Lagos State is certainly on another glorious journey of welfarism and good governance, " Olokoba said.

On her part, the Director, Centre for 21st Century Issues, Ms. Titilope Akosa, said it was important for Lagos State to continue to lead on all development fronts, adding that he was certain Sanwo-Olu was up to the task of taking Lagos to greater heights.

She, therefore, added that the candidate should work towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and renewing the government's engagement with the civil society community if elected.

"Lagos state must take leadership on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the state must renew its partnership with the civil society community to help speedy achievement of many of its goals. So we humbly ask that, when you are elected, you will prioritise these areas which include improvement of the education system in the State and the empowerment of our women.

"The gender equality and opportunity bill has been lying idle all this while. We do hope that when you are elected you will help to give the necessary support and boost for this progressive proposal. Lagos State must continue to show an outlook of a 21st century state in all forms. A state that will give adequate support to the women, children and the needy in the society. We believe in you and we hope that you will perform beyond expectation", she said.

The governorship candidate, while acknowledging the presence and support of the various organisations, stated that the civil society groups were important stakeholders.

He said they were the eyes and ears of the vulnerable people in the society, adding that they were also the watchdog consistently putting government on its toes to perform optimally.

"I want to assure you that you've found a partner in me. I value your role in building a better society. That's why we are committed to opening access to government to achieve our dream of greater Lagos.

"I commend you all because not many people have the strength to get on this noble but demanding path you have chosen. With this partnership, I'm absolutely certain that we will reach the Lagos of our dreams sooner than envisaged", he said.

Ayo Midele/GEE

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*

Enugu LG Election: Groups demand replacement of PDP candidate

ITRealms;

An amalgamation of civil society and socio-political groups in Nsukka local Government Area of Enugu State, under the aegis of Nsukka Democratic Movement (NDM), has rejected the candidature of Mr. Patrick Omeje as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship flag bearer, urging the party to replace him, reports ITRealms.

The coalition, comprising Independent Nsukka Solidary Agenda Worldwide, United Nsukka Indigenes for Good Governance, Nsukka Arise for Change, Nsukka Youths Empowerment Initiative, Greater Nsukka Congress, Alliance for Democratic Governance, among others, insisted that if the PDP candidate was not replaced, they would mobilise opposition against the party in the council come November 4, 2017.  

The NDM in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema and its Secretary, Dr. Joseph Idoko, accused the candidate of intimidating and harassing Nsukka indigenes with siren even before the election, saying “if he can intimidate people with conveys and siren when election has not taken place, we are not safe if he wins the election”.

The groups maintained that “Beyond doubts about his competence and academic qualification, which is currently under investigation by our coalition, he has so far shown that he lacks qualities of a good leader. Worst of all, he seems not to be disposed to learning.

“We see the emergence Mr. Patrick Omeje as a fulfilment of a policy of marginalisation of Nsukka by political godfathers in Enugu state.

“We advise Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to carry out a secret popularity and acceptance test of the PDP candidate in Nsukka as a whole to understand the danger in retaining him as a candidate for the election.

“We will resist, through every democratic means, the replay of the tenure of Prof. Mrs Rose Onah, which was characterised by underperformance in the council if the PDP insists on foisting an incompetent and irresponsible leadership on the people of Nsukka at this time.

“We learnt that the party ensured that only the candidate purchased form for the primary that produced him by those who want to rubbish the good works of the incumbent state government.

“The people’s Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has recorded giant strides, which we cannot fold our hands while a man who, obviously, would erode all his legacies emerges as chairman and take us back to the dark days of non-performance in the council.

“We call on opposition forces in Nsukka to produce a credible candidate for our endorsement and mobilisation of support ahead of the November 2017 local government election to defeat the ruling party in event that the PDP upholds the process that produced Mr. Omeje as its flag bearer,” the coalition vowed.

Odoh Odoh/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Pix: Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

Nigeria marks 365 days of school girls’ abduction by Boko Haram

ITRealms:

 

Nigeriaand proponents of #BringBackOurGirlson Tuesday marked the first anniversary of Boko Haram's abduction of 219 schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok, as part of a series of events planned to eradicate the terrorist group, reports ITRealms.

The sad incident,  ITRealms reports happened on the 14^thApril 2014, when the bokoharam terrorist group stormedthe government secondary school in Borno, while the students were preparing for their school leaving examination.

The one year remembrance programmeand renewed calls for their release came as Amnesty International said that the terrorist group had kidnapped about 2,000 females (including women and girls) since the beginning of year 2014.

The focus of the one-year remembrance program was on Nigeria's capital, Abuja, where prayers and vigils had been held seeking the safe return of the abducted girls, reports ITRealms

The United Nations and African rights groups, it was gathered by ITRealms also called for an end to the targeting of boys and girls (child murder) in the conflict, which had claimed about 15,000 dead and some 1.5 million people displaced, 800,000 of them children.

.

HabibatBalogun, a member of the campaign group expressed her grievances on the missing girls, saying that the world at large should not rest on their oars until the girls are found.

"It's wonderful that the world is remembering and... sending the message that we are not going to forget and we are not going to stop until we know what has happened to our girls," she told ITRealms.

In New York, the #BringBackOurGirls campaign said the Empire State Building would be lit in its colours of red and purple, to symbolise an end to violence against women.

The rate of abduction by the terrorist is becoming alarming, and the mass abduction of the chibok girlsbrought the brutality of the terrorist insurgency unprecedented worldwide attention and prompted a viral social media campaign demanding their immediate release.

Criticisms come from different angles on the Nigeria’s government for its initial response to the crisis and were forced into accepting foreign help in the rescue effort after a groundswell of global outrage.The military has said it knows where the girls are but has ruled out a rescue effort because of the dangers to the girls' lives.

In a new report published on Tuesday, a senior military officer was quoted as saying the girls were being held at different Boko Haram camps, including in Cameroon and possibly Chad.

The Chibok abduction was one of 38 it had documented since the beginning of last year, with women and girls who escaped saying they were subjected to forced labour and marriage, as well as rape.

#BringBackOurGirlsorganisers thanked supporters across the world, from ordinary men, women and children to public figures such as US First Lady Michelle Obama and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

AbdulKareem Mueenah/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!