IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

An Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, has asked the Federal High Court Abuja, to sack the recently appointed Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (rtd). Jideobi is praying the court to set aside and void “all actions and decisions [howsoever described or made] of the 3rd Defendant [Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd)] in the name of Sole Administrator of Rivers State, same being unconstitutional, null and of no constitutional force throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria for all purposes.”

The plaintiff further prayed the court to issue a perpetual order of injunction, restraining the 1st defendant (Tinubu, either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named “from either removing, suspending or otherwise tampering with the tenure of the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Rivers State [and indeed any other State in Nigeria].”

As well as an order of perpetual injunction, barring President Bola Tinubu, “either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, from appointing any Sole Administrator into any State Government House in the thirty (36) of the Federation for any purpose whatsoever.”

In the Originating Summons he filed through a consortium of lawyers led by Chimezie Enuka, the plaintiff prayed the court to determine: “Whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and their conflated interpretation, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1st Defendant herein] has any constitutional authority [whatsoever] to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State [and indeed of any other State in Nigeria] and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described] such as the 3rd Defendant for that State?”

Upon the determination of the question, he prayed the court to declare that upon an intimate reading and complete understanding of the entirety of section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, there is NO other circumstance contemplated by the Constitution for the removal OR interruption of the tenure of an elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State EXCEPT the circumstances contemplated under Sections 180, 188, 189 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. 

Luxury detective page, T20Luxury, has accused actress Mercy Aigbe of showcasing a counterfeit handbag.

Sharing her photo on Instagram, the page claimed her Louis Vuitton Capucines bag was fake and also questioned the authenticity of her eyewear.

T20Luxury advised Aigbe to be more cautious when selecting stylists and personal shoppers, emphasizing the harm counterfeit goods cause to creativity.

This comes shortly after the page similarly called out comedian AY Makun for allegedly flaunting a fake Hermès bag. 

Former Education Minister Obiageli Ezekwesili has explained her heated exchange with Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi during a Senate ethics committee hearing on sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Ezekwesili accused the committee of complicating the process for petitioner Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. She confronted Nwebonyi after he dismissed the petitioner’s team as unserious, telling him to “shut up.”

The altercation escalated, with Nwebonyi insulting Ezekwesili, calling her a “disgrace to womanhood.” Speaking on Arise TV, Ezekwesili defended her reaction, stating she opposed the unfair treatment of the petitioner. 

MTN Group and Airtel Africa have agreed to share mobile phone network infrastructure in Nigeria and Uganda. Statements by the duo on Wednesday said the agreement is aimed at saving investments while still increasing service coverage.

Mobile operators in Africa are seeing sustained demand for digital and financial services, but building and maintaining networks is expensive, especially for fast 5G connections. The companies also said they will explore various opportunities in other markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia. Among the deals under consideration are radio access network sharing, the largest portion of the cost in network deployment and operation; commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing; and, if necessary, the construction of fibre networks, they added.

The companies said, “This engagement does not preclude the parties from collaborating with other operators in any respective market.” Speaking on the agreement, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita in a statement said “As MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress. “We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets. To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers.

That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns.” 

Electricity consumers paid ₦509.84 billion in Q4 2024, even as Nigeria experienced five grid collapses within the period, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

NERC reported three total and two partial grid collapses in Q4, contributing to the 12 outages recorded throughout 2024. Despite this, revenue collection by electricity distribution companies (DisCos) rose from ₦466.69 billion in Q3 to ₦509.84 billion in Q4, with collection efficiency improving by 2.89 percentage points.

Eko and Ikeja DisCos had the highest collection efficiencies at 90% and 82.3%, respectively, while Jos Disco recorded the lowest at 49.68%. NERC attributed the revenue boost to reduced energy offtake and improved metering, noting that over 4,000 Band A customers were metered under the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) scheme.

Meanwhile, two partial grid collapses have already occurred in Q1 2025, deepening power supply challenges for consumers. 

...as Gov. Uzodinma Sets To Receive Festival Torch Light Thursday

_By GOC Nwadike, Owerri. 

State Trials of the over 670 athletes drawn from the recently concluded Local Government And Zonal trials in Imo State have been concluded today, Tuesday, 25th of March, 2025.

The two-day exercise which commenced Monday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, had an initial One Thousand Plus athletes who registered for the Meiden Edition Of the Niger Delta Sports Festival scheduled for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State between 1st and 9th Of April, 2025.

Members Of the State Liaison Committee for the festival in Imo, led by their chairman, the Honourable Commissioner For Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha and the Secretary, Hon. Willie Okolieogwo were on ground supervising the exercise and ensuring compliances to rules.

At the end of the exercise, about 430 selected athletes would be invited to a closed camping which will commence on the 29th of March, 2025 till departure date of April 1st.

Meanwhile, the festival Torch Light which commenced its tours of the Nine mandate states of The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, would be arriving Imo on Thursday, 27th of March 2025.

In a release by the Main Organizing Committee made available to SLC, the Festival Torch Lighting Ceremony in Imo shall commence Thursday morning with the arrival of the Torch in the state, at Heartland Stadium, to be received by the Imo's Festival Ambassador, Mr. Emmanuel Amunike, mfr. 

This will be followed by a Procession to Government House Gate where Amunike shall be handing over the Torch Light to the Honourable Commissioner For Sports, Hon. Obinna Evaristus Onyeocha.

The Commissioner shall proceed to hand over the Torch Light to the Executive Governor Of Imo State, His Excellency, Distinguished Sen. Hope Uzodinma, and thereafter, a Brief Ceremony before handing over to MOC. 

The Torch Shall depart Imo next day for Abia State, and finally to Cross Rivers State next week Monday.