Economy
Alex Otti To Revamp National War Museum, Ojukwu Bunker For Tourism
Alex Otti To Revamp National War Museum, Ojukwu Bunker For Tourism
Alex Otti to revamp National War Museum, Ojukwu Bunker for tourism. “By revamping these sites, we will not only preserve history but also create economic opportunities through tourism,” he said.
The Abia government says it will collaborate with the federal government to upgrade the National War Museum and Ojukwu Bunker, both in Umuahia, into world-class tourism destinations.
Information commissioner Okey Kanu disclosed this at the Government House, Umuahi while briefing journalists on the outcome of Monday’s State Executive Council meeting.
Mr Kanu said the initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, aims to preserve the state’s rich historical heritage while boosting tourism.
He expressed the Abia government’s commitment to making Abia a key destination for historical and cultural tourism.
“By revamping these sites, we will not only preserve history but also create economic opportunities through tourism,” he said.
According to him, the government has made broader efforts to identify and develop tourism sites across the state.
Mr Kanu also said the ministry recently discovered over 55 unique heritage sites across the state. He listed the sites to include Ulochukwu Cave in Alayi in Bende, the Mazi Okoro Orji’s Compound in Arochukwu, and Ntubugwo Oloko in Ikwuano, where participants in the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929 were tried, among others.
The commissioner also affirmed the government’s commitment to building a five-star hotel in Umuahia to support the growing tourism sector.
“These projects are part of a comprehensive strategy to make Abia a leading tourism hub, attract visitors, and boost the state’s economy,” Mr Kanu said.
Also, the commissioner for arts, culture, and creative economy, Matthew Ekwuribe, said Abia has numerous historical and natural attractions.
“Abia is blessed with waterfalls in at least three LGAs, caves in places like Alayi, Isuikwuato, and Umunneochi, as well as the Azumini Blue River, a unique natural attraction.
Alex Otti
We also have Akwaete Beach, which remains an untapped coastal treasure,” Mr Ekwuribe said.
He also said if the sites got properly developed, they could position the state as a top tourism destination in Nigeria and beyond.
The commissioner also spoke about the uniqueness of the National War Museum, the only one of its kind in West Africa, and the Ojukwu Bunker, which played a significant role during the Nigerian Civil War.
He said, “These historical sites, if properly rehabilitated, would attract visitors from across the country and beyond.”
PRP Demands Direct Federal Allocation to Local Governments
PRP demands direct federal allocation to local governments. The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has raised concerns over reported attempts by state governors to lobby the President against the direct disbursement of federal allocations to Local Government Authorities (LGAs).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Ishaq, reaffirmed PRP’s commitment to fiscal autonomy for LGAs, as upheld by the Nigerian Constitution and reinforced by the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on July 11, 2024.
“It is disheartening that despite the clear legal framework ensuring the financial independence of local governments, some state governors are using their influence to undermine this democratic process,” Ishaq stated.
He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s directive for federal allocations to be sent directly to elected local government councils was intended to enhance transparency, accountability, and proper utilization of funds at the grassroots level.
The PRP criticized the practice of channeling funds through joint state-local government accounts, which has led to financial mismanagement by state governments.
PRP
The party warned that any attempt to redirect these allocations back to state control would violate constitutional provisions and weaken local government autonomy.
PRP insisted that LGA funds should be disbursed directly without interference, allowing elected councils to manage their resources efficiently, meet the needs of their constituents, and drive community development.
It also pledged support for local governments against any efforts to use their allocations to service debts not legitimately incurred for their benefit.
Nigeria Senate Probes Cameroon’s Alleged Annexation Of Nigerian Mangrove Islands
Nigeria senate probes Cameroon’s alleged annexation of Nigerian Mangrove Islands. The Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged annexation of the country’s mangrove islands and maritime territories by the Republic of Cameroon. The committee is expected to report back with necessary recommendations in the next two months.
As part of its resolutions, the Senate has urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate steps to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial waters, including securing over 2,560 oil wells identified within the disputed mangrove islands in Akwa Ibom State.
The Senate leadership has also committed to engaging directly with President Tinubu to explore diplomatic solutions to the crisis.
Lawmakers during plenary on Tuesday, underpinned the need for urgent action to prevent further escalation of what they described as a “provocation by the Republic of Cameroon”.
Senate
Leading the motion under Orders 41 and 51, Senator Aniekan Bassey had raised an alarm over the economic and territorial implications of Cameroon’s encroachment into Nigerian territory.
Senator Bassey said that the affected mangrove islands, located in Efiat, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, were not part of the territories ceded to Cameroon under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling of October 2002.
Tension As Another Explosion Rocks Pipeline in Rivers
A second major pipeline explosion has rocked the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State, occurring just hours after a similar incident in Bodo, Gokana LGA.
The latest explosion struck a manifold connecting a federal pipeline in the Okwawriwa area on Tuesday morning, sending massive flames into the sky and raising fresh concerns about the safety of oil facilities in the region.
Another Explosion Rocks Pipeline
Another Explosion Rocks Pipeline in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.
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