Nigerian nurses, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions Sector, today, July 30, embarked on a seven-day nationwide warning strike.
The action, which began at midnight, followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued by NANNM to the federal government.
The National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, warned on Monday, July 28, that the strike would involve a total withdrawal of services across all federal health institutions.
“The 15-day ultimatum ends by Tuesday, July 29, 2025, by midnight, and the warning strike commences on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 12.01am.
“The action would include 74 federal hospitals – teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, specialist hospitals like orthopaedic, neuro-psychiatric, and eye centres, as well as all general hospitals and primary healthcare centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas.
“Private hospitals are not included. This is because for now the private practitioner nurses are not spread over Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, the strike was in response to issues which include poor remuneration, staff shortages, unpaid allowances, and unsafe working conditions.
On July 14, 2025, the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, demanding immediate intervention to prevent a total healthcare shutdown.
Rilwan stated that despite the ultimatum, the federal government had not initiated any negotiations.
He said the strike became necessary after the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Health failed to respond meaningfully to its July 14 ultimatum.
I am someone who finds it difficult to turn against anybody I have endorsed. Before I endorse anyone, something must have convinced me – and it’s rarely for the reasons most people imagine.
Kenneth Okonkwo, popularly known in Nollywood circles as Andy, is an exceptional actor. There are not up to ten actors and actresses in my A-list. Ken is one of them. In that revered list are Pete Edochie, Olu Jacobs, Justus Esiri, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, Ngozi Ezonu, Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Ekeinde, my dear sister Chioma Chukwuka, and a few more.
I don’t care what directors, producers, or viewers think about you. As a screenwriter, I rate actors based on how they deliver my scripts. On that scale, Ken is among my most loved. He delivered my painstakingly crafted dialogues to perfection, pausing at commas and stopping at full stops exactly as I intended.
We were friends…still are. I didn’t know how he became Labour Party’s Presidential Spokesperson during the 2023 campaigns. But I was elated when the announcement came because I knew he would deliver. And he did, brilliantly.
If you knew how intelligent Ken is, you wouldn’t call him unpalatable names. That’s why I thought the Akwa Ibom governor was making a fool of himself trying to reduce such a Nollywood veteran to a nonentity. If there was any nonentity in that unfortunate exchange, Governor Emo Uno certainly was.
But here’s the crux. Ken suddenly appeared on screens saying he had parted ways with Mr. Peter Obi. I thought he was joking, tried calling him several times without success. Next thing, he claimed PO lacked the courage to defend the votes Nigerians gave him in 2023. Next appearance, Ken called for Tinubu, Atiku, and PO to step aside in 2027. Then he argued that only a coalition could defeat an incumbent as devilishly strategic as Tinubu.
Finally, my good friend declared that only a Northerner can defeat Tinubu in 2027. After sharing his meeting videos with Atiku Abubakar, “Andy” told Nigerians only Atiku could defeat Tinubu.
I will not join the bandwagon claiming Atiku dollarised my good friend. I would rather believe Ken remains the Ken I know: a man who acts on conviction. As a lawyer and PhD holder, he deserves that respect from me. Besides, I do not speak ill of my friends.
But Ken… do you truly believe power should return to the North after just four years in the South? Even though your Living in Bondage breakthrough was all about correcting societal ills, what has been the core objective of elite Nollywood practitioners? Isn’t it to use motion pictures to correct ills, injustices, and marginalisation in our dear country – charting a course for a truly united Nigeria?
What should I tell my wife and children, who adore you, when they ask why you want the North’s marginalisation of the South to continue – cutting short an unwritten zoning agreement in the clear shortchanging of your own South?
Perhaps you should revisit the Bible you often quote:
“The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24)
Betrayal is as old as leadership itself. Even Julius Caesar, like Christ, faced his own moment of disbelief when the dagger came from the least expected hand: “Et tu, Brute?”
So, PO wouldn’t get to the presidency without several drawbacks of betrayals, hate-induced attacks, real and friendly enemy bullets…still…
Of course, you’re trending everyday, Ken. Media houses besiege you with calls for interviews…have you asked yourself why? Take it from me, my brother…it’s not truly because you have superior knowledge to sell, it’s rather because they found you a very uncharitable tool to advertise against your own brother. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a free world and you’re entitled to your opinions but opinions from someone like you should always make sense. Ask from people who tell you the truth about how you sound recently. This is not about PO. This is about the legacy you are accumulating.
I will pretend I did not listen to Dr. Katch Ononuju’s interview explaining your recent positions, and instead ask: what legacy will you leave behind – one your children will be proud of?
PO is not an ordinary politician who would truncate democracy by imposing his will on the Labour Party.
He is not the kind of leader who would bribe the courts for favourable judgment. He would rather present his case and abide by whatever the court rules – that is respect for the judiciary.
And he is not the kind of man who would permit bloodshed to further his cause. There is no way PO would have allowed OBIdients to go rioting, risking lives, in order to reclaim his mandate. PO would not live with himself if innocent blood was shed just to make him president.
Even you, in your prodigal reasoning, still believe PO with LP, a party they said had “no structure”, won the 2023 presidential election. What intellectual somersault made you now believe that the same man, whose electoral value has more than quadrupled in just two years, would not win again in 2027, especially in the face of Tinubu’s complete failure?
Does being a lawyer and a PhD holder make it easier to lie before TV cameras without considering the impeccable reputation you built over the years? Or do you imagine you were delivering lines from a movie script?
I thought you knew PO after eight months of working closely with him but evidently you didn’t. An intelligent man like you should have learned at least 70% of what the former Anambra State governor was made of after watching the scene between him and Father Ejike Mbaka in early 2019, when PO refused to bow to political blackmail in the church. That episode alone should have told you the man you were dealing with came far ahead of his generation.
I worry deeply because this is not the Kenneth Okonkwo I knew and respected. Your deviation from the ideals of patriotic Nollywood filmmakers will forever cast a shadow over the industry. Atiku may have his strengths, but it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to complete its eight years. Even if you have reasons to part ways with PO, parting ways with your zone is a capital sin.
Nonetheless, let me remind you: nobody is more qualified than PO to lead a Nigeria that is sinking before our eyes. Your conscience will trouble you to the grave if you had the chance to contribute to steering Nigeria right, but chose to throw that chance overboard.
I have been in the business of following and promoting PO since 2009. The reward has always been the contentment that comes from walking the right path. Monetary reward is rarely, if ever, part of it. Enough said!
In a shocking and disappointing display of arrogance, a sitting governor recently made a declaration that undermines the very foundation of democracy.
Declaring a political monopoly and electoral arrogance is not just boastful, it is deeply undemocratic and dismissive of the collective intelligence and political will of the people of Anambra State.
This is not just another election.
It is a defining moment in the history of our dear state, a time for deep reflection and honest evaluation.
In this moment, Dr George Moghalu stands tall, not as a fundraiser or noise-maker but as a visionary leader whose values are rooted in humanity, public service and purpose-driven leadership.
It is particularly hypocritical for a One-Termed Governor who now claims absolute dominance in Anambra to be publicly aligning himself with a One-Termed Federal Administration that has by every standard failed Nigerians.
An administration widely criticized for worsening economic hardship, insecurity and the collapse of public trust.
Is this truly the kind of alliance Anambra needs?
Is a Progressive One-Term Governor with no Progressive achievement what Anambra deserves?
Chief George Moghalu represents the opposite of this failed system. He listens, he serves and he leads with humility not intoxicated by power not driven by selfish ambition.
He understands that leadership is a sacred responsibility not a personal entitlement or a paid title.
To boldly claim that “Anambra is APGA and APGA” completely abandoning the term “APC-Progressives” is a contradiction of character.
It reveals just how desperate some can be when the taste for power outweighs the interest of the people. Declaring an election as a one-man race is an insult to democracy, it seeks to erase the diverse voices, dreams and aspirations of the Anambra electorate.
But Anambra is awake.
The people are alert. This time; the people will decide not party loyalty, not fear, not propaganda.
Dr. George Moghalu offers a breath of fresh air, a human-centered leadership that values development over division, people over politics and progress over propaganda.
This election is not a coronation, it is a contest of ideas and vision and yes Anambra deserves better.
Abuja, Nigeria – The 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded today, July 25, 2025, with a strong emphasis on unity and reconciliation within the party.
The two-day meeting, which began yesterday, has yielded key outcomes that will shape the party’s future.
The PDP NEC has decided that there will be no change in the party’s leadership until the next national convention.
The committee has directed the setup of a discipline and reconciliation committee to promote unity within the party.
The NEC meeting has paved the way for the party’s upcoming national convention, scheduled to take place from August 28-30, 2025.
Speaking at the meeting, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara stressed the importance of delivering strong and inspiring leadership at the convention to reclaim the party’s position as Nigeria’s leading opposition force. Wabara expressed optimism that a successful convention will attract defectors back to the party and draw in new members.
The outcomes of the NEC meeting have set a positive tone for the PDP’s future, particularly as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections. The focus on unity, reconciliation, and strong leadership is expected to propel the PDP forward in the coming years.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s international passport was briefly seized by Nigerian immigration officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday morning, July 24, causing a momentary travel scare before she eventually boarded a British Airways flight to London.
According to eyewitnesses at the airport, the senator, representing Kogi Central, arrived at the international terminal with her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, and was stopped by immigration officials as she was about to board a London-bound flight. The immigration officers were said to have flagged her as a “national security risk.”
Eyewitnesses say the Senator remained calm and composed throughout the ordeal, insisting that the officers had no legal authority to seize her passport.
“The court never authorised this. You have no right to hold my passport,” she was overheard telling the officers while urging them to allow her to proceed.
Her husband was spotted making a series of urgent phone calls as the delay dragged on. Minutes later, the senator’s passport was returned without any formal explanation, allowing her to swiftly proceed through immigration and board her flight just in time.
In the latest financial update, the exchange rate between the Nigerian Naira (NGN) and the US Dollar (USD) stands at:
– 1 USD = ₦1,527.80 NGN
This means that for every one US Dollar, you will need approximately one thousand five hundred and twenty-seven Naira, eighty kobo. The exchange rate is based on the latest data available from leading financial institutions and market sources.
We will continue to monitor and provide updates on any changes to the exchange rate.
The lawmaker representing Kogi Central at the national assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has brushed off the threat by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio to resume plenary on Tuesday morning.
This is coming after Akpabio appealed a court judgement that ruled against her six months suspension.
She arrived the National Assembly where her supporters converge at the entrance to await her.
Meanwhile, there was a security build-up at the gate of the complex with stern-looking officers searching cars and restricting visitors to the car park outside the parliament.
No fewer than five police patrol vehicles were stationed at a strategic area at the entrance to the Assembly complex.
The heightened security comes in the wake of a threat by Akpoti-Uduaghan to return to legislative duties amid warnings from the Senate.
In a landmark regulatory intervention, the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) has announced a significant reduction in electricity tariffs, slashing the cost of Band A power supply from N209 to N160 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while freezing tariffs for Bands B, C, D, and E. The new tariff takes effect from August 1, 2025.
The announcement was made through Order No. EERC/2025/003, titled “Tariff Order for MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited 2025,” which was issued over the weekend.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited, the utility company that succeeded the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), will now operate under the new rate regime. The move comes after a detailed tariff and license application review by EERC, in accordance with its 2024 Tariff Methodology Regulations and supported by the Distribution Tariff Model.
Speaking on the development, EERC Chairman Chijioke Okonkwo explained that the new Band A tariff reflects a cost-justified model and takes into account federal subsidies on electricity generation.
“We arrived at an average cost-reflective tariff of N94/kWh. Band A customers will pay N160, which is still significantly below the previously approved N209/kWh,” Okonkwo stated.
He further explained that the federal government currently subsidizes electricity generation costs — paying only N45 out of an actual N112/kWh — thereby cushioning the pricing burden on end users.
“This reduction benefits consumers while helping MainPower manage tariff stability over time, especially if the subsidy is withdrawn in the future. Crucially, this model ensures no additional subsidy is required from the Enugu State Government,” he said.
The tariff adjustment is grounded in the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023, signed into law by Governor Dr. Peter Mbah, following the 2023 constitutional amendment which decentralised electricity regulation. That law gave EERC exclusive jurisdiction over electricity regulation within Enugu State, in line with the federal Electricity Act 2023, which repealed the previous Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005.
The Commission has also mandated robust transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure service quality, particularly for Band A customers.
“MainPower must publish a rolling seven-day average of daily power supply hours on each Band A feeder. Failure to meet service standards for two consecutive days must be reported within 24 hours,” EERC warned.
“Persistent failure—seven consecutive days—will result in the automatic downgrading of that feeder’s tariff band.”
EERC reaffirmed its commitment to consumer protection and sustainable power sector development, vowing to work with investors, developers, and the general public to build a reliable and cost-effective electricity market.
This bold regulatory move positions Enugu as a national trailblazer in state-level power sector reform and consumer-focused electricity pricing.
Although I absolutely should have foreseen it, I honestly didn’t anticipate the profoundly painful consequences that my July 16 Facebook update titled “Aisha Buhari, Divorce, and Forgiveness Claim” would have on former First Lady Mrs. Aisha Buhari and people closest to her.
It’s one of the worst and cruelest lapses of judgement I have ever committed in my life, and it has been a source of unfathomable personal anguish for me these past few days.
My source, whose integrity is unimpeachable, insists the information is accurate, but never intended for it to become public. Going public with the information was an error on my part, as not every well-sourced information is for public consumption.
On the other side, Alhaji Sani Zorro, former SSA to the First Lady on Public Affairs, whom I hold in the highest esteem, has reached out to question the accuracy of my claims.
I will not contest the particulars and veracity of the information with Alhaji Sani who conveyed the former First Lady’s position that her marriage was intact. After all, as the late MKO Abiola memorably said, no one can give you a haircut in your absence.
Clearly, Mrs. Buhari herself has the ultimate authority and right to define the status of her marriage with her late husband. Her truth should be respected as supreme, whatever other facts may exist.
Moreover, the truth of this information is now far less significant than the hurt my disclosure of it has caused. I shouldn’t have shared it publicly. Period. Doing so violated every moral and ethical principle I cherish and uphold. But it shows I am only human, an imperfect human.
I realize it might be impossible for many to believe (except those who truly know me) that I acted without malice, ulterior motives, or external influence. But I sincerely did not intend to harm Mrs. Buhari or execute any personal vendetta.
To Mrs. Aisha Buhari, I offer my heartfelt and unreserved apology for the needless and deeply regrettable hurt I have caused. I am truly sorry.
Good Governance Ministry (GGM) ,a political advocacy group has thrown her weight behind Gov Alex Otti on the rejection of unviable state creation across Nigeria . In a statement issued by the Ambassador General of the Ministry – Ndubuisi Anaenugwu , on Sunday, July 20, 2025, the statement reads in full ” 90 % of the existing States are being spoonfed from monthly federal allocation . Without sharing cakes from Abuja , most of these States will go bankrupt . Creating more States is to create more confusion and more jobs for unproductive and corrupt politicians. GGM will always support a system of government that would promote competition and production. A system where federating units will be allowed to bake their own cakes . GGM is solidly behind Gov Alex Otti for his visionary Leadership . GGM agrees with Gov Alex Otti that creation of sixth state in south east will corrct decades of existing structural inbalance”
“The M.I. Okparas and Sam Mbakwes of this world did not wait for the creation of tiny enclaves called states before making the generational impacts they made. They governed vast territories and still achieved prosperity,” the statement noted.
GGM acknowledged the constitutional and political imbalance that has left the South-East as the only zone with five states, while others have six and the North-West has seven.
GGM cautioned stakeholders and public officeholders to avoid pursuing state creation as a selfish political project, noting that short-term political gains often come at the expense of long-term national interest.
“Creating additional states without first laying a solid economic foundation is a dangerous distraction from our real developmental challenges,” the statement added
