News
SEDC Urges President Tinubu to Secure Nnamdi Kanu’s Release for Stability Of Southeast
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action in facilitating the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The committee chairman, Rep. Hris Nkwonta, who stated this at its inaugural meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, said this was a crucial step toward fostering lasting peace and progress in the region.
Rep. Nkwonta emphasised the persistent security challenges in the Southeast, and the urgent need for resolution.
He said: “The continued detention of Kanu has fueled tensions, deepened grievances, and hindered the region’s stability”.
Rep. Nkwonta stated that the SEDC was established to address developmental disparities in the region, adding that sustainable progress can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and inclusivity.
He linked the Commission’s creation to the federal government’s broader agenda of Reintegration, Reconstruction, and Reconciliation (RRR), which is aimed at healing historical wounds, in particular those from the Nigerian Civil War.
“The establishment of the South East Development Commission, 54 years after the civil war, is a monumental achievement. However, true reconciliation requires more than infrastructural development—it demands addressing historical grievances and ensuring justice for all,” he added.
The chairman further noted that despite the Southeast’s entrepreneurial resilience, the region continues to grapple with challenges such as infrastructural decay, economic underdevelopment, poor healthcare services, human capital flight, and escalating insecurity.
He argued that Kanu’s detention remains a key factor in the unrest, discouraging investments and impeding development efforts, and urged the federal government to prioritize dialogue over prolonged legal confrontations, stressing that national unity requires political will and decisive action.
While reaffirming the committee’s oversight role, the Committee Chairman assured that the SEDC would focus on impactful, long-term projects rather than short-lived initiatives. He pledged to uphold accountability and transparency in all Commission activities.
Nkwonta therefore called on President Tinubu to demonstrate leadership by initiating the process for Kanu’s release and reintegration into society.
“Together, let us seize this opportunity to make history. Let us transform challenges into opportunities and build a South East region that is not only resilient but also thriving and prosperous,” he stated.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, in his iinaugural speech, described the SEDC as a critical step toward addressing the Southeast’s developmental needs.
Represented by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Abbas eemphasised he committee’s role in driving investment and strategic initiatives for the region’s advancement.
“The inauguration of this committee is not just a formality. It is the beginning of a renewed effort to unlock the full potential of the Southeast, a region known for its resilience, industry, and entrepreneurial spirit,” he stated.
He noted that the Commission was created in response to long-standing issues such as gully erosion, infrastructural decline, economic stagnation, youth unemployment, and security challenges.
According to him, the Commission will serve as a vehicle for recovery, modernization, and economic revitalization, positioning the Southeast as a hub for innovation, commerce, and industrial growth.
“The role of this committee is to provide legislative oversight, monitor the implementation of policies, and ensure that the Commission fulfills its mandate with efficiency, transparency, and accountability,” Abbas added.
Acknowledging the Southeast’s historical significance as a center of trade, education, and enterprise, he lamented its struggles with inadequate infrastructure, minimal federal presence, and restricted access to development opportunities.
He urged the committee to prioritize infrastructure, industrial growth, human capital development, and security enhancement.
“This is not just about policy monitoring; it is also about improving the lives of millions of people who look to us for leadership and solutions,” he said.
Speaker Abbas charged members of the committee to approach their responsibilities with dedication and patriotism, stressing that their performance would shape the Commission’s legacy.
“The foundation you lay, and the impact you make, will be a significant stamp in the annals of the history of the Commission.
“Development is not about politics. It is about people. We must ensure that every policy, every project, and every decision taken by the commission serves the greater good of the region and contributes to national development,” he said.
The Speaker assured the committee of full support from his office and the House of Representatives, pledging collaboration to ensure the Commission meets its objectives and serves as a model for regional growth.
“This is our opportunity to turn aspirations into realities, to uplift communities, and to build a Southeast that is prosperous, stable, and thriving for generations to come,” he said.
“May your efforts bring about meaningful progress, and may this initiative serve as a lasting legacy in our shared vision for a stronger and more united Nigeria,” he asserted.
By Francesca Hangeior
The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja with the businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, as ordered by the court.
Achimugu, who was sandwiched by two female EFCC officers, arrived in court at about 11:35 am.
It could be recalled that Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on Monday, ordered the industrialist, alleged to have fled the country, to honour the invitation by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday at noon.
Justice Ekwo, who gave the order in a short ruling, also ordered the EFCC, upon the appearance of Achimugu at its office, to return with her to court on Wednesday for a report.
Achimugu was, however, said to have been arrested by the EFCC’s operatives on her arrival abroad at about 5 am and kept in custody.
By Francesca Hangeior
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward “concrete proposals,” as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump.
The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues.
“We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, in what she said was a message from Rubio.
“If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process.”
She said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move ahead on diplomacy.
The president suggested on Tuesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine.
Asked in an interview with ABC television if Putin wants peace, Trump said: “I think he does.”
Putin recently proposed a three-day ceasefire around Moscow’s commemorations next week for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
But he has rebuffed a Ukrainian-backed US call for a 30-day ceasefire.
The United States wants “not a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else — a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict,” Bruce said.
It remains unclear if Rubio is actually ready to turn the page or is seeking to pressure the two countries.
The United States already put together a framework proposal which Ukrainians feel bows to Russian demands.
Trump has suggested an official recognition of Russia’s takeover in 2014 of Crimea, an annexation rejected by nearly all the world, in addition to land swaps.
“We all want this war to end in a fair way — with no rewards for Putin, especially no land,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told an event in Poland by videoconference on Tuesday.
Russia has also not moved on the proposal with many experts believing Moscow now sees an upper hand — on the battlefield and diplomatically, with Trump eager to reconcile.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, sought to blame Zelensky and said that Russia would keep speaking with the United States.
Zelensky “is bent on escalating the conflict. He’s recklessly rejecting the United States’ balanced peace proposals,” Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting.
US diplomat John Kelley told the session that both sides would benefit from working off the US framework and condemned Russian strikes into Ukraine.
“Right now, Russia has a great opportunity to achieve a durable peace,” Kelley said.
Trump in turn berated Zelensky in a February 28 White House meeting. He and Vice President JD Vance accused the wartime leader of ingratitude for US weapons sent under Biden.
Ukraine quickly tried to make amends by backing US diplomatic efforts and pursuing a deal in which the United States would control much of the country’s mineral wealth.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday that recognizing “Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea would invite additional aggression from Moscow and Beijing.”
“I have endeavored to give President Trump the space to negotiate a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which is a goal we both share,” she said.
“However, President Trump and his team have fatally mismanaged these negotiations — offering concession after concession to Russia, throwing away our leverage and fracturing the united front with our allies that is critical to ending this war,” she said.
Ukraine ordered on Tuesday the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region which used to be remote from the frontlines but are now under threat as Russian forces close in.
Last week a ballistic missile ripped into a residential area of Kyiv in one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the invasion.
Trump, who has claimed that Putin would not have attacked Ukraine if he were in power in 2022, wrote, “Vladimir, STOP,” on social media after the attack.
By Francesca Hangeior
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has launched innovative mobile technologies aimed at combating counterfeit drugs in Nigeria’s North-East region.
The a two-day sensitisation workshop in Gombe, stakeholders from various healthcare sectors were introduced to the “Scan 2 Verify” and “Green Book App” tools designed to authenticate medicines and ensure public safety.
Speaking on Wednesday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Post-Marketing Surveillance, Bitrus Fraden, reassured participants that all drugs registered by NAFDAC are safe and available only through legitimate outlets.
Adeyeye further explained that the Green Book App serves as a digital registry listing certified medicines approved by the agency.
“Users can quickly verify a drug’s authenticity, with any product not listed being deemed counterfeit,” Adeyeye said.
The workshop, which targeted key stakeholders, including pharmaceutical vendors, medical doctors, and healthcare professionals, harped on the need to adopt the technologies to ensure only genuine medicines reach consumers.
Participants such as patent medicine dealers and shop owners praised NAFDAC for the timely initiative.
Yakubu Yusuf and Hauwa Musa, participants at the workshop, described the training as a significant step toward resolving the challenges of counterfeit drugs.
NAFDAC also emphasised its ongoing efforts to shut down counterfeit drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and other parts of the country, reaffirming its commitment to public health and safety.
The agency highlighted the importance of public awareness in the fight against fake drugs, urging individuals to verify medicines before use and make informed health choices.
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