The member of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Rep Sam Onuigbo, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for signing into law three higher education bills for the South East.

Onuigbo extolled the President and Deputy Speaker for the momentous event, noting that by that singular legislative action, the two leaders have expanded access to tertiary institutions for young people in the zone.

President Tinubu recently signed into law the three bills establishing federal tertiary institutions in the South-East. Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu sponsored the two bills for the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, and Federal College of Education, Bende, Abia State, and strongly lobbied for assent for the Federal University, Okigwe, Imo State.

Onuigbo, a former two-term member of the House of Representatives, in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, declared: “This legislative achievement comes as a clear demonstration of Kalu’s visionary leadership, deep commitment to educational development, and dedication to the socio-economic advancement of the South East and the nation at large.

“An for the President, I doff my heart for the expeditious assent to these timeless and transformative bills. In fact, by this act, Mr. President, you have once again demonstrated your administration’s commitment to inclusive development, nation-building, and the empowerment of our youth through education.”

Onuigbo, who represented Ikwuano Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency in the Eighth and Ninth National Assembly, maintained that the three new institutions will not only expand access to quality education, but also catalyse the socioeconomic growth in Abia and Imo States.

“Without doubt, Kalu’s legislative foresight and effective advocacy continue to inspire hope for a better future and sustainable progress for the younger generation. His understanding and collaboration with the Presidency have continued to pave the way for generations of Nigerians to access quality education.

“It is by creating such equal opportunities and striving to build a brighter future for the next generation that the nation’s greatness is assured. And, for this, I and all well-meaning people from the South East are hugely grateful,” he stated.

Onuigbo, who is also the sponsor of Nigeria’s signature legislation, the Climate Change Act, generally known as Sam Onuigbo Climate Change Act 2021, noted that what President Tinubu and Kalu have done through the new institutions prepares a greater number of younger Nigerians for the rapidly expanding global knowledge economy.

The Chairman of Security and Climate Change Committee on the NEDC Governing Board, further observed that with more and more young people getting access to quality education, the nation would be assured of qualitative home-grown and adaptive solutions to various socio-economic challenges associated with climate change and food insecurity.

On Monday, June 16th, Gov. Alex Otti received in audience, at the Executive Council Chamber, the State Champions of the 2025 Civic Connect Hackathon organised by the State Ministry of Science and Technology and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Economy.

Gov. Otti praised Abia Youths for brimming with potentials and urged the Government team to continue creating such platforms where innovation is not only encouraged but celebrated. He directed the Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology and the Chief Information Officer of the State to work with the Hackathon Champions to integrate elements of their innovative solutions into the State’s comprehensive ICT Solution platform under development.

Earlier in his speech, the Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. David Kalu introduced the winning teams and asked them to present their solutions to the State Executive Council.

The Civic Connect Hackathon is an initiative of the SA to the Governor on Digital Economy and the Ministry of Science and technology to encourage creativity and unlock the hidden brilliance and talents of Abia Youths, challenging and supporting their growth to become the future of innovation.

During their various presentations, the 3 teams demonstrated their App Solutions which they developed as projects to come top in the competition;

1. Oluora: A Web base solution developed by Team Alpha led by Charles Mark which bridges the communication gap between the citizens and the government in real time.
2. iAbia: An inclusive Web and Mobile Application platform developed by the BluTech Innovations Team led by Franklin Isaac, Innocent Chidinma and Emeka Victor to track Government activities in real time and give feedbacks.
3. Voice Out: A Smarter Governance Solution for Real-Time feedback. It is a civic engagement solution that empowers the people of Abia State to speak up, report issues, and connect directly with the Government. Whether it is bad road, power outage, security concerns or any community problems – Citizens can easily raise their voices through this solution.

The demonstration was witnessed by all members of the State Executive Council.

Ctz. UKOHA NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.

……. As Abia State Chairman Amah debunks reports of Court sacking all party structure, says it’s misinterpreted

The National Vice Chairman (South East) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chidiebere Goodluck, says the party is undergoing a strategic, deliberate rebuilding process and will bounce back stronger.

Chidiebere Goodluck who stated this in Umuahia while on an official visit to a South East Zonal meeting held in Umuahia, stated that in the coming weeks, the party would be announcing the constitution of strategic committees that will include all levels of the state executive, designed to build consensus, encourage inclusivity, and inject renewed energy into our operations.”

These committees, he said, will drive the conversation around electoral preparedness, reconciliation, media engagement, policy development, and grassroots mobilisation.

Meanwhile, the PDP says it is heading to the Appeal Court in Owerri next week to challenge the High Court judgement which it said, tried to disqualify Chairmanship and Councilorship candidates in November 2, 2024 local government election in the state.

The Chairman of the PDP in Abia, Abraham Amah, who made this known while addressing expanded South East zonal meeting in Umuahia, debunked the rumour making the rounds that the Court had sacked all structures of the party, from ward to state level executive.

According to him, the court’s ruling was misinterpreted by a section of people, stating that there was no judgement or Certified True Copy(CTC), to the claim.

Amah praised the the former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu and the Senator representing Abia Central, Senator Austin Akobundu for contributing to the growth and unity of the PDP in Abia.

Earlier in their speeches, PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, the Imo State chairman of the party who doubles as the PDP Chairman of Chairmen in the five South East States Austin Nwachukwu, amongst others recognised Samuel Anyanwu as the authentic National Secretary of the PDP as they urged members to remain steadfast despite challenges, expressing optimism that the party would bounce back.