General News
China Harbour Targets June 2026 Completion for N73.8bn Maraba–Keffi Road
China Harbour Engineering Company has assured that the reconstruction and expansion of the 43.65-kilometre Maraba–Keffi Road will be completed by June 2026.
The N73.8 billion project, awarded on April 19, 2026, under the Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, has a 30-month completion timeline.
Project Manager of China Harbour, Engr. Ahmadu Reuben, gave the assurance during an inspection tour on Tuesday. He stated that the 43.65-kilometre stretch meets required engineering standards and commended the Federal Ministry of Works for maintaining strict quality benchmarks aimed at ensuring durability.
According to project data, N35.8 billion of the total contract sum has so far been certified, while N37.9 billion representing 51 per cent awaits approval. An advance payment of N15.8 billion has been made, with N9.3 billion already recovered.
The document further shows that the project has reached 90 per cent completion, with 87 per cent of the contract time already elapsed.
Scope of Work
The project covers site clearance, scarification and pulverisation of the existing stone base and asphaltic layers, cut-to-fill and borrow-to-fill to approved cross-sections, and the laying of a 200-millimetre stone base on the carriageway and 100 millimetres on the shoulders.
Other components include the laying of a 60-millimetre asphaltic concrete binder course, a 40-millimetre asphaltic concrete wearing course, and the excavation and construction of trapezoidal reinforced concrete-lined drains.
Challenges
The report identified key challenges affecting the project, including heavy and chaotic traffic at the Maraba axis, overspeeding and disregard for warning signs, as well as delays in payment for certified works.
Earlier, the Director of Information and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, said the project was designed to decongest the often chaotic Maraba corridor and stimulate socio-economic development in the area.
He noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu places high priority on road infrastructure nationwide. He added that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, maintains zero tolerance for substandard execution as part of efforts to deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has formally forwarded a list of nine commissioner nominees to the Rivers State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi, directed the nominees to submit their credentials for legislative review as part of the confirmation process.
The nominees are Datonye Alasia, Tonye Bellgam, Temple Nwofor, Peters Nwagor, Charity Deemua, Tamuno Williams, Lekue Kenneth, Otonye Amachree, and Amairigha Edward Hart.
According to the statement, the nominees are required to submit forty copies of their curriculum vitae (CV), along with photocopies of their academic and professional credentials. They are also expected to provide evidence of compliance with their tax obligations.
“All documents should be forwarded to the Office of the Clerk of the House at the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters,” the statement read.
The move comes nearly a month after President Bola Tinubu held a meeting with Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Abuja, amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State.
The submission of the commissioner nominees is seen as a significant step in strengthening the state’s executive council following recent political developments.
General News
US-Israeli Airstrikes Reportedly Kill Iran’s Acting Defence Minister Hours After Appointment
Iran’s newly appointed acting Defence Minister, Seyed Majid Eb Al-Reza, has reportedly been killed in fresh U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, less than 48 hours after assuming office.
According to emerging reports on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Al-Reza was targeted in strikes carried out in Tehran. Iranian authorities have yet to issue a detailed official statement confirming the circumstances of his death, but multiple sources indicate he was among the latest high-profile casualties in the escalating conflict.
Al-Reza was appointed on March 2, 2026, by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as interim defence minister. His appointment followed the killing of his predecessor, Aziz Nasirzadeh, who died in earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Those earlier attacks also reportedly claimed the lives of senior Iranian figures, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, Army Chief Abdol Rahim Mousavi, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
If confirmed, the killing of two successive defence ministers within days would mark an unprecedented blow to Iran’s military leadership and signal a dramatic intensification of hostilities between Tehran and the U.S.-Israel alliance.
The reported strikes come amid widening regional tensions, with both sides trading accusations over targeted attacks on strategic installations and leadership structures.
Analysts warn that the continued decapitation of Iran’s top command could provoke further retaliation and deepen instability across the Middle East.
The investigation panel of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has suspended the medical director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital and two other doctors following preliminary findings linked to the death of Nkanu Adichie-Esege, son of renowned writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The panel established a prima facie case of medical negligence in the management of the deceased, who died on January 7, 2026, after complications arising from preparatory medical procedures.
Based on its findings, the council suspended Tunde Majekodunmi, medical director of Euracare; Titus Ogundare, an anaesthesiologist; and Atinuke Uwajeg, chief medical officer of Atlantis Hospital.
The affected practitioners have been barred from medical practice in Nigeria pending the outcome of proceedings before the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
The panel’s secretary, Enejo Abdu, disclosed that evidence of professional misconduct was also found against 10 other doctors at Atlantis Hospital after reviewing complaints, written responses, and sworn testimonies.
However, the council clarified that the report remains preliminary and does not represent a final judgment. All affected medical personnel will undergo a full hearing before a tribunal, which will deliver the final decision.
Eight doctors were cleared of wrongdoing during the review of the 21 medical practitioners involved in the case.
The investigation concluded during the panel’s 25th session held on February 17 and 18 in Abuja, while a coroner’s inquest into the incident is scheduled to commence on April 14, 2026.