....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

For the traders whose livelihoods were devastated by last week’s tanker explosion at Oluku Market, the commencement of rebuilding offers something urgently needed: a visible path back to business.

Governor Monday Okpebholo’s response has moved beyond his visit to the scene and his assurance that affected traders would receive government support. With rebuilding now underway, that promise is taking physical shape.

The significance lies in the speed: a disaster struck, the governor responded, and the work of restoration has begun.

The fire occurred on Thursday, October 15, along the Benin–Lagos Road in Ovia North-East Local Government Area. By the following day, Okpebholo was at the market, assessing the destruction, listening to traders and pledging to rebuild. He also visited injured victims at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, extending his response from the scene of economic devastation to the bedside of those receiving treatment.

Now, the commencement of reconstruction gives affected families a stronger reason to look ahead.

For someone whose shop has just been destroyed, time carries a heavy cost. Rent, school fees, feeding expenses and loan obligations continue even when trading stops. Every additional week without income can deepen the damage and make recovery more difficult.

That is why the urgency at Oluku matters. Getting rebuilding underway creates the conditions for traders to recover their working spaces and begin the journey towards earning again.

A market may be built with blocks, roofing sheets and concrete, but its real value is measured in the households it sustains.

Behind every stall is a network of people: the farmer supplying produce, the driver delivering goods, the apprentice learning a trade, the porter earning a daily wage and the parent depending on sales to keep a child in school. Restoring the market helps reconnect that chain of economic activity.

The intervention also draws credibility from an earlier example in Ekpoma.

After fire destroyed the Police Officers’ Wives Association shopping complex in January 2026, Okpebholo visited the affected traders and promised to rebuild. In April, he commissioned the reconstructed complex and announced ₦200 million in support for traders whose goods had been destroyed. That response addressed both the trading environment and the need to help businesses recover.

For Oluku traders, Ekpoma provides a practical reference: a devastated commercial space was rebuilt, and government committed additional support towards restoring livelihoods.

Jattu forms another part of this wider effort. Following the January 2025 market fire, the administration pledged assistance to victims. By September 2026, Jattu Modern Market was among the commercial facilities reported to be undergoing extensive reconstruction under the administration’s market renewal programme.

From Ekpoma to Jattu and now Oluku, the common concern is the survival of local enterprise. These markets serve different communities, but the people who depend on them share the same basic aspiration: a secure place to work and a fair opportunity to earn.

The administration’s wider redevelopment programme offers relevant lessons. Plans for the redesigned Oba Market included a mini fire station, a sick bay and other welfare facilities, demonstrating how market infrastructure can incorporate protection for the people and investments within it.

This is where Okpebholo’s commitment to a progressive Edo State meets everyday reality. Progress becomes meaningful when government protects the foundations of ordinary people’s independence—the shop, the stall, the tools and the opportunities through which families sustain themselves.

His swift response at Oluku, followed by the commencement of rebuilding, sends an important message about that responsibility. It shows the value of responding while the needs are urgent and carrying an assurance into action.

The work must now maintain that momentum until traders can return, reopen and rebuild their income.

For the people of Oluku, the strongest expression of hope will be the sound of business returning to a place where fire brought everything to a halt. The rebuilding already underway is the first concrete step towards that recovery.

Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is the Principal and CEO of Bush Radio Academy

The media office of former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has dismissed reports suggesting that the senator is planning to defect from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The office described the reports as false, stressing that Tambuwal remains committed to the ADC and is focused on strengthening the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued on Monday, the senator’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Prince Daniel, urged Nigerians to disregard the claims circulating on social media.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Tambuwal has no plans to join the APC. Suggestions to the contrary are false, baseless and should be disregarded,” the statement read.

The clarification followed the circulation of photographs and video clips on social media, which triggered speculation about a possible political realignment by the former governor.

However, Tambuwal’s media office maintained that his interactions with politicians from other parties should not be interpreted as evidence of an impending defection.

“Political civility is no proof of political realignment. Exchanging greetings or interacting with members of another party does not amount to negotiating a change of allegiance,” Daniel stated.

The office explained that Tambuwal had maintained cordial relationships with politicians across party lines for several years, noting that these connections were built on public service and mutual respect.

It further emphasised that the senator’s political loyalty remained with the ADC, where he was concentrating on strengthening cooperation, building alliances and mobilising support ahead of the next general elections.

“Senator Tambuwal remains firmly committed to the ADC. His focus is on strengthening the party, building broad cooperation and mobilising Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the statement added.

The media office also appealed to political supporters, journalists and social media users to verify information before publishing or sharing reports concerning the senator’s political activities.

It warned against presenting speculation as established fact, urging Nigerians to seek clarification from credible sources before drawing conclusions about Tambuwal’s political decisions.

The office also encouraged the public to focus on pressing national issues, including economic difficulties, insecurity and governance challenges, rather than unverified reports about politicians switching parties.

Tambuwal governed Sokoto State from 2015 to 2023 before being elected senator representing Sokoto South Senatorial District in 2023.

Before becoming governor, he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives and later contested the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His alignment with the ADC has positioned him among opposition figures preparing for the 2027 general elections, as political parties and their leaders explore possible alliances to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC.

Despite the speculation surrounding his political future, Tambuwal’s media office reiterated that his relationships with politicians outside the ADC should not be construed as an indication that he intends to return to the ruling party.

The office urged anyone seeking accurate information about the senator’s political decisions to contact the AWT Media Office for clarification before circulating unverified claims.

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has warned that individuals opposing President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027 may not enjoy a second term in their own lives.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Umahi made the statement on Sunday, October 18, during an event in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

The minister expressed confidence that Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru would secure 95 per cent of the votes in the state during the forthcoming general elections.

According to Umahi, both leaders are expected to retain their respective positions in 2027, while he issued a strong warning to those working against their re-election ambitions.

“President Bola Tinubu is going to win a second term. Governor Francis Nwifuru is going to win a second term. Anyone who does not want Tinubu and Nwifuru to get their second terms, may he not have a second term in his life,” he said.

Umahi also called on political stakeholders in Ebonyi State to remain committed to the direction of the current administration.

He stressed that party leaders in the state would maintain their support for Tinubu, Nwifuru and his own political leadership in the region.

Meanwhile, the minister has dismissed reports suggesting that he is involved in a political disagreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Umahi described Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, as a progressive politician and a member of the same political family.

He made the clarification during a press conference in Abuja while responding to reports of internal divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and speculation about his relationship with the FCT minister.

Emphasising the importance of their political relationship, Umahi said both sides needed one another and remained united.

“We need Wike as Wike needs us. So, it’s one family,” the minister stated.