# The Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, has directed the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, to proceed on a six-month leave amid allegations and ongoing administrative investigations in the diocese.
The directive, contained in a letter dated October 13, 2026, also requires Bishop Ibezim to hand over immediately to the Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ezeofor, who has been appointed Supervising Bishop of Awka Diocese and Coordinating Bishop of the Province of the Niger during the period.
According to the letter signed by the Primate, Bishop Ibezim is prohibited from officiating at any activities of the Church of Nigeria, the Province of the Niger or Awka Diocese while on leave.
The Primate stated that the six-month period would be subject to review, adding that the decision followed reports from various administrative panels constituted to examine developments in the diocese, particularly a visitation team led by the Dean of the Church of Nigeria.
# Officials of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Anambra State Chapter, on Friday, October 16, 2026, met with the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, and the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Udoji Amedu, to follow up on Anambra’s participation in the upcoming World Public Relations Forum.
The World Public Relations Forum, which Nigeria has the privilege of hosting, has already attracted registration from 136 countries. It presents an opportunity for states to showcase their culture and unique selling points to a global audience and attract investments.
According to the officials, every state is expected to set up a pavilion where its cultural heritage and economic potentials will be on full display for the international audience. Beyond the state showcases, the forum will put Nigeria itself on display for the world to appreciate, with some governors and captains of industry expected to deliver papers and make strategic statements.
The NIPR team, led by its State Chairman and Local Organising Committee Chair, Dr. Ngozi Ulogu, said they were reaching out to the coordinating ministries – Information and Culture, Entertainment and Tourism – to ensure Anambra’s full participation in what they described as a once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity.
Dr Ulogu said the World Public Relations Forum, scheduled to hold at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, between 15th and 21st November, 2026, has dominated public discourse and has the buy-in of President Bola Tinubu, and expressed optimism that Anambra will not be left out.
In their separate responses, Commissioners Mefor and Amedu promised to work with the group to ensure Anambra is fully represented and that the state’s participation is epochal.
They noted that what states do collectively is what the nation does, but stressed that Nigeria must anchor the event in a grand fashion to maximise national benefit.
# The Anambra State Chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected claims by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has no pathway to victory in the 2027 general election.
Ezeokenwa made the remarks during an appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television, where he argued that it was in the strategic interest of Ndigbo to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. He also said APGA would work to persuade people in the South-East to vote for the president.
Reacting to the comments, the NDC State Chairman, Rt. Hon. Ikem Uzoezie, described the position as inconsistent with the prevailing mood of Nigerians, insisting that Obi remained a strong contender for the presidency in 2027.
He argued that economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and recurring national challenges had intensified public demand for a change in leadership, adding that Nigerians were increasingly determined to pursue a better future for the country.
The NDC chairman further claimed that Obi enjoyed widespread acceptance across the country, arguing that his support base extended beyond regional, religious, age and socioeconomic boundaries.
On the 2023 presidential election, Uzoezie expressed confidence that Nigerians had learned important lessons and would be more determined to protect their votes in the next general election.
# The Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinyere Esther Onyekesi, has condemned the reported abuse of a nine-year-old boy in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, assuring that the state government would take appropriate steps to protect the child and ensure accountability.
The incident reportedly involved Miss Onyinye Nwobodo, who allegedly assaulted her nine-year-old nephew following the loss of a sum of money.
Describing the incident as unacceptable, Mrs. Onyekesi stressed that no child should be subjected to violence, intimidation or degrading treatment under any circumstances.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the Anambra State Government, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to safeguarding children’s rights and promoting their welfare across the state.
The Commissioner called for a thorough investigation into the incident, insisting that anyone found culpable should be held accountable in accordance with the law.
# The Ministry of Women and Social Welfare has reported that a woman identified as Ezennanya Happiness, from Anambra State, has been brought back from Lagos State with her newborn baby.
Unfortunately, she has been unable to provide vital information about her home or background, which has made it difficult for the authorities to trace her origin.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare is therefore urging members of the public to assist in the search for the family of Ezennanya Happiness so that she can be reunited with them. The only information obtained from her so far is that she attended Awka Community Primary School and worships at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Awka.
Anyone with information that could help is kindly asked to contact the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, Anambra State.
# Anambra State Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Professor Charles Ofoegbu, has advocated for stronger safety consciousness and enforcement across workplaces, construction sites, mining operations, filling stations, schools and other public facilities in the state.
Professor Ofoegbu made the call when executive members of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, a division of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Anambra State Chapter paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Awka, where they presented a draft proposal for the establishment of a Safety Commission in the state.
While advising them to first build a strong culture of safety awareness and professional engagement across different sectors before pursuing the institutionalization of a commission, Professor Ofoegbu stressed that safety must be treated as a cross-cutting responsibility, extending beyond engineering and workplaces to every other sector and public infrastructure.
He cited the absence of basic protective equipment among workers as a major concern, citing construction sites where workers often operate without hard hats and protective gear, as well as illegal mining sites where women and children reportedly use bare hands to excavate stones and highlighted the need to protect sanitation workers, field engineers and other employees, whose duties expose them to occupational hazards.
Drawing from his experience as pioneer Director-General of the National Institute for Building Research and Engineering, NIBRE, Commissioner Ofoegbu, recalled instances where safety concerns warranted decisive action, including the closure of unsafe facilities and implored safety professionals to ensure that workers undertaking field assignments are adequately protected.
He urged NISafetyE to prepare well-researched memoranda, highlighting specific safety deficiencies and proposed solutions and submit to the governor, Head of Service and Secretary to the State Government assuring his willingness to work with the association to strengthen safety engineering activities across the state.
# ICT Officers from the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, were among participants at the just concluded ICT Officers training organized by the University.
The training, which drew ICT officers from various departments and faculties across the University, was aimed at enhancing their technical competence and efficiency in handling the University’s digital operations.
Speaking on the experience, one of the ICT officers representing the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies described being an ICT officer in the University as a complete sport ,not necessarily hard, but highly demanding.
He noted that the training was insightful and beneficial, equipping officers with the requisite skills to better manage the evolving ICT needs of their respective departments.
All ICT officers from the various departments under the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies were fully represented at the training. Spot yours
Guest appearance Dr Chioma Agbasimelo, HOD Advertising and Dr Kene the sub-dean Faculty of social sciences.
# The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, has said the state must gain direct access to its vast gas reserves to drive industrialisation and power generation, which the state cannot do despite being an oil and gas producing state for not being part of the nation’s gas master plan.
Mefor stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the Nigerian Content Capacity Building Workshop for Media Stakeholders in Anambra State, organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Awka.
Speaking on behalf of the state government, Mefor thanked the board for hosting the workshop in Anambra, noting that the state should feel its impact more, and promised to escalate the issues raised to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
The commissioner lamented that Anambra, which sits on one of the biggest gas reserves in Nigeria and Africa, has not benefited from its status as an oil-producing state and is yet to feel the impact of Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan, and described as unacceptable a situation where the state expected to drive development cannot access its own gas.
He noted that with President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the law moving electricity generation, transmission and distribution from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list, Anambra now has the legal and governance framework, including a constituted Electricity Board, to generate its own power, but needs gas as a critical enabler to light up the state, power its industries and sell excess to other states.
Mefor said the Soludo administration is determined to transform Anambra into a smart mega city and a destination of choice to live, work, invest and relax, driven by the private sector.
He also called for a review of Nigeria’s educational system in line with the future of work, arguing that the country needs quality graduates who are creators and employers of labour, not just job seekers. He urged the NCDMB to ensure its training programmes produce manpower that can feed industry and support the shift from a consumption to a production economy.
# Associate Professor of Guidance and Counselling at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Dr. Vera Nkiru Nwadinobi, has been honoured with the Africa Leadership Award at the 1st Africa Leadership Summit & Awards 2026 held in Accra, Ghana.
The three-day summit, organised by Global Skills Hub, United Kingdom, took place at the GTEC Auditorium, East Legon, Accra, under the theme, “Building Influence through Personal Leadership.”
The summit brought together leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and change-makers to explore leadership, influence and positive societal impact.
Dr. Nwadinobi was selected for the prestigious recognition in acknowledgement of her visionary leadership, commitment to excellence, ability to inspire others, dedication to community development, professional integrity and contributions to empowering and positively influencing people. The award notification described her leadership journey as one that reflects the values the award seeks to celebrate.
# Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has partnered with financial technology company OPay to provide scholarships and career development opportunities for students, with 20 financially disadvantaged students expected to benefit annually over a 10-year period.
The partnership was formalised during a courtesy visit by an OPay delegation to the university, where discussions centred on educational support, technology, innovation and employment opportunities for students.
Speaking during the visit, OPay’s Head of Partnership, Mr I. K. Odiase, said the scholarship programme was designed to ease the financial burden on students and enable them to focus on their studies.
He disclosed that the initiative, valued at ₦60 million, would provide annual scholarships of ₦300,000 each to 20 eligible students over 10 years.
According to Odiase, OPay expanded the programme to more institutions following positive feedback from beneficiaries of its first phase, with UNIZIK selected to participate in the second phase.
He said the initiative underscored the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and its belief in education as a tool for empowering young Nigerians and widening opportunities.
