The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured Nigerians that it has no plans to shut down the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu before Christmas or anytime soon due to the condition of the airport runway, as reports had indicated.


The assurance was given by the Enugu Airport Manager and the Regional Manager, South East, Mr. Hillary Umunna, who told THISDAY in an exclusive telephone interview yesterday that the airport is currently in the best shape, admitting that remedial work was done at the runway, which puts it in good stead for flight operations to continue.


Umunna said that a lot of flights operated Sunday, which include Ethiopian Airlines, which departed by 1:31 pm local time from Enugu to Addis Ababa; Air Peace flight to Lagos at 12; 07 pm; Ibom Air and Green Africa Airways also operated to and from the airport.


Air Peace also operated Enugu to Abuja at 8:40 am; Enugu-Lagos, 11:50 am; and Ibom Air operated Enugu-Lagos, 1:45 pm; Enugu- Abuja, 3:30 pm.


Also, United Nigeria Airlines operated Enugu-Lagos 2:45 pm; Enugu-Abuja, 5:45 pm as well as Green Africa, which operated Enugu to Lagos, he said.


Umunna said that despite the peculiar issues associated with the topography where the Enugu runway was built, the facility has remained serviceable because it is always maintained by the management of FAAN.
He noted that due to the sensitive nature of airport runways, they always require continuous maintenance to be able to carry the weight of aircraft.


He disclosed that recently a technical team from the FAAN headquarters in Lagos came to inspect the runway to see if it required major work, noting that the inspectors did not indicate that any major work would be done on the facility any time soon.


The Airport Manager, however, admitted that during the rains the runway usually require more maintenance to ensure that it is safe for flight operations, adding that if there is any need for a more comprehensive work to be done at the airport runway it would be after the Christmas season.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Wednesday, flagged off the construction of multiple road projects totalling 78.85km in Nkanu East and Nkanu West Local Government Areas of the state.

At Amodu in Nkanu West LGA, Mbah performed the symbolic groundbreaking for the 9.30km Amodu-Akpugo Road, 5km Amagu-Atakwu-Akegbe Ugwu-Akpasha Road, and 3.12km Obuofia-Obeagu-Akegbe Ugwu Road totalling 17.32km.

Also, at Nara in Nkanu East LGA, the governor flagged off the construction of the 12.96km Nomeh-Mburubu-Nara Road, 7km Nomeh-Oduma Road, 7.20km Mburubu-Nkereffi Road, 9km Nara-Nkerefi Road, 9.7km Amagunze-Ihuokpara-Ugbawka Road, 8.67km Akpawfu-Akpugo-Amagunze Road with a spur to Umuoma Onicha, and 61.43km Isiogbo Nara-Isu Road, all totaling 61.43km.

Speaking, Mbah said: “In the last few days, we have flagged off about 90km of roads and bridges across these various local governments. Today, we are here to again perform this all-important event of the flag-off. What you see here at this location may just be project signage indicating a few kilometres of road, but in actual terms, we are here to flag off the construction of about 90km of roads in both Nkanu East and Nkanu West.

“What we are about to witness in our various communities is an agricultural renaissance. As you already know, we are setting up farm estates in different wards on a minimum of 200 hectares of land each. The farm estate would ensure that we take our agriculture potential to an industrial scale. So, our growth in agriculture will not just be for food. Agriculture for us will be a serious business and a major force for economic growth.”

The governor assured the people that he looked forward to commissioning the roads in a few months.

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Gerald Otiji, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Projects Development and Implementation, Uchenna Nwatu, assured the people of effective and intensive supervision to ensure quality delivery as demanded by the governor.

Governor Peter Mbah has flagged off the construction of the 44.8km Amah-Eke–Oghe- Iwolo-Olo-Umulokpa Road, traversing the Udi, Ezeagu and Uzo-Uwani LGAs and also with a spur from Akama Oghe to Aguobuowa, to open the economic corridors of the state.

Performing the groundbreaking today at Eke, Udi LGA, Mbah stressed that the flag-off was also a symbolic event for the numerous other roads awarded in Enugu West Senatorial District, noting that beyond Umulokpa, his administration had equally awarded the contract to make it possible for the people to travel seamlessly from Adani and connect to Nsukka.

“What you see is asphalt and well-paved road that we will have here, but what I see when I do this flag-off or when I go for commissioning is a $30bn economy. I am also seeing the eradication of poverty. I am seeing an enhanced human welfare and capital development. These are essentially what good roads do for you beyond ease of movement and reduction in travel time.

“So, with the roads we have awarded, what you essentially have is a circle, which you can travel in less than one hour. You would also be able to go from Enugu East to West and then to North with ease. That way, we can open up a lot of economic activities,” he stated.

The governor also assured on timely completion of the road, and called on the people to continue to support his government.

“When we award contracts, we are quite focused on timeline and cost. So, in 3 months, we are back here to cut the ribbon and commission this road. The contractor already knows that we have no tolerance for time overrun. So, he is going to deliver as promised. On our part, we are going to ensure that he is well-funded.

“So, as for the naysayers and skeptics, you can now please go and tell them what you can see because for us, it is not about the talk but the work. We are keeping our own part of the bargain. We would urge you that you continue to support us, support the contractor during this period of construction,” he concluded.

Giving further details, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Projects, Arc. Uchenna Nwatu, said that the road would be completed in three months with adequate measures also put in place to checkmate erosion.

“In the new design, embarkment will be built, other hydraulic structures will follow it, drains and culverts of different sizes will be built to protect the road. One unique thing about the road is that both the shoulders of 1.5 metres and the carriageway of 7.3 metres will be asphalted. Everything will be asphalted from drain to drain,” he said

In his remark, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Gerald Otiji, added that the governor had directed the extension of the road beyond Orie Engine.

“So, the road will run from Orie Engine down to Ebenebe by the Anambra State border with another spur running through Obinaofia Ndiagu to Ugwuoba. This is part of the economic ring that the governor is putting in place, he stated.

Member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Hon. Nnoli Nnaji, commended the governor for connecting the entire state with good roads for socioeconomic prosperity.

Speaking on behalf of their people, various leaders of Udi, Ezeagu, and Uzo-Uwani, including the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; Chairman, Udi LGA, Hon. Hyginus Agu; and the traditional ruler of Isigwu Umana, who is the Chairman, Ezeagu Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Emmanuel Anichebe, commended the governor for creating a brand-new Enugu State.

“We are delighted to see you champion a new Enugu State. Obviously, the eight years of your administration will be remarkable for Enugu State,” Igwe Anichebe said.

The CEO of Ferotex Construction Company, Chief Fetus Onu, reassured the governor and the people that the road would be of the best quality and would be delivered on target.

Governor Peter Mbah today flagged-off the construction and dualisation of the 43.7km Penoks-Abakpa Nike-Ugwogo-Nike-Opi Nsukka Road with streetlights and 18-month completion timeframe in line with his administration’s vision to make the state the premier destination for investment, business, tourism, and living.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at Opi attended by political heavy weights and leaders of Nsukka Zone, Mbah stressed that the the project, which includes straightening the of many bends, would drastically reduce accidents and criminality on the road.

“In the build-up to the election and in my acceptance speech after my election, we made a pledge that we are going to dualise the Penoks - Abakpa-Ugwogo Nike - Opi-Nsukka Road because . we realised from the outset that if we had to grow this economy to an exponential height, no section of this state should be left behind, more so an economic hub like Nsukka Zone. So, all we are doing here today is connecting those dots,” he said.

Mbah regretted that a trip from Enugu to Nsukka presently takes over an hour, hence the decision to do the 3.6km from the Penoks Junction all the way to the T-Junction flyover in addition to the 41km Abakpa Nike-Opi Nsukka Road to reduice travel time to about 30 minutes and make it possible for the people to comfortably live and work in Enugu and vice versa.

He also noted that his administration’s grassroot-based development and economic model placed the Enugu North Zone at an advantage.

“We are doing projects based on electoral wards. Guess who are the greatest beneficiaries of this model? It is the Nsukka zone. You have 102 electoral wards. That means you will end up with 102 smart schools, 102 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres, over 1,000km of roads based since we are additionally going to do at least 10km of roads per ward,” he remarked.

In his remark, the traditional ruler of Edem-Ani and Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, said, “The people of Nsukka cultural zone and Enugu North Senatorial District never imagined the possibility of this life-time project. The only way we can pay you back is that you do not need to come to campaign here for your second tenure because we are all going to do that for you. You are Godsent to the people of Nsukka, Enugu State and Nigeria at large.”

Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Ezeani Ezenta, noted that the governor had shut the mouths of naysayers.

“I feel emotional because a lot of things were said during the election. But today, by your good work, you have proved yourself even more Nsukka than any other Nsukka man,” he emphasised.

On his part, former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi, described the project as “gigantic, huge, unbelievable and marvelous,” noting that it would open Nsukka Zone and the state to the world.

“This is a legacy project. Your name will never die. Your spirit shall never die. We will continue to give you support,” he added.

Other speakers, including the Chairman of Nsukka Nsukka LGA, Hon. Jude Asogwa, former Secretaries to the State Government, Dr. Dan Shere and Prof. Simon Ortuanya, among others extolled the initiative.

Significantly, in a press statement he personally issued on Monday, Member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency on the platform of the Labour Party, Hon. Dennis Agbo, described the road as “a transformational project, which will greatly facilitate commerce, ease mass transit and evacuation of farm produce by our hard working farmers as well as fight crime and criminality.“

The Enugu State Government has dismissed as mischievous the illegal sit-at-home declared by some faceless non-state actors for Tuesday, October 29, 2024, over the unfortunate death of the popular Ogene musician, Okezie Mba, aka Igbo Jah, describing those behind the illegal order as criminals and opportunists who do not mean well for the Ndi Enugu and Ndi Igbo at large.

While assuring the people that the state government and security agencies had already taken decisive action that would ensure that anyone found culpable in the unfortunate death of the musician is severely punished, it described the sponsors and promoters of sit-at-home as enemies of Enugu State and the Igbo nation.

The government, therefore, directed citizens to disregard the illegal order and go about their normal activities, vowing to muster all powers at its disposal to protect the lives and property of the people, while the killers of the late Igbo Jah were already behind the bar for interrogation and prosecution.

The government, in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Chidiebere Onyia, on Sunday, said, “Our attention has been drawn to reports making the rounds on social media to the effect that some criminal and faceless non-state actors have declared a sit-at-home in Enugu State on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 purportedly to protest the unfortunate killing of the popular Ogene musician, Okezie Mba, aka Igbo Jah, by a police officer on Friday.

“The Enugu State government once again restates its condemnation of the killing as abominable, unacceptable and totally against the values we hold dear, most especially the sanctity of human life.

“Indeed, His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, spared no time in ordering a thorough investigation to unravel the circumstance of the killing with a view to bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice. Already, the culprit has been identified and in custody while investigation continues.

“On Sunday morning, a delegation from the state government, led by the Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr Victor Udeh, visited the bereaved family to empathize with them and reemphasized government’s commitment to ensuring that justice is served.

“The Enugu State government is, however, not surprised that criminal elements are seeking to exploit the unfortunate situation to cause mayhem in the state, restrict economic activities, and inflict more pain on our people.

“These opportunists who play on the emotions of our people in the name of freedom agitation do not mean well for a people known for enterprise, hard work and creativity. They cannot be our true representatives. They do not represent the values we cherish. They are simply criminals and enemies of Ndi Igbo sponsored to destabilize the region.

“To this end, and as usual, there shall be no compliance with the illegal sit-at-home order in any part of Enugu State on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. Government will muster all the powers at its disposal to ensure the security of lives and property of our people.

“Government hereby charges civil servants, farmers, market men and women, the corporate sector, business and shop owners, schools, teachers, and all workers in Enugu State that the sit-at-homes belong to an inglorious past we must erase from our memories.”

The government equally frowns at any attempt to incite fear and promote the illegal order through social media and other media platforms, stressing that anyone found sharing such content will be used as a scapegoat as a deterrent to others.

The Chairman, Enugu State In­ternal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, has said that the state has been able to solve the issue of multiple taxa­tion through the introduction of a single yearly unified tax pay­ment system using the e-ticketing solution.

According to him, the system allows business owners in the informal sector to pay their tax­es once a year using an e-ticket platform rather than paying into different revenue generating ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in the state.

“Enugu State has the most friendly tax environment. This is especially observed in the in­formal sector. In Enugu, one of the things we’re known for is the e-ticket, a unified tax collection or consolidated tax collection. What it means is that the government brought all these revenue gen­erating MDAs into the e-ticket system so that once anybody in the informal sector pays through the e-ticket, nobody comes to ask for tax from that person again,” Nnamani said.


He added: “For instance, in all the markets in Enugu State, you pay once in a year and nobody disturbs you again in terms of revenue. So, with that, it has made Enugu a friendly tax en­vironment whereby you know what you’re supposed to pay; you pay it and go about your business. “

“It’s not about paying multiple times because when you pay once through the e-ticket, the payment splits to other agencies too. That’s the type of environment that en­courages business to thrive and makes it easier for our people to do business.

The ESIRS Chairman fur­ther said a similar system ap­plies to the formal sector where business owners do not need to pay multiple times to different agencies.

“For the formal sector, we have employed what’s called a Consoli­dated Demand Notice. With this, you do not need to pay Land Use Charge and ESWAMA bills dif­ferently. The notice is all-encom­passing. With one single demand notice that covers all fees sup­posed to be paid to the state. You can now choose to pay monthly, quarterly, or annually because the essence of the economy is for businesses to do better. So, in everything we’re doing, we’re cautious because it’s businesses that propel tax generation or col­lection and grow the economy. If businesses are redundant, tax generation would be redundant,” he said.

I had the pleasure of meeting with the Executive Councillor of the City of Vienna, Peter Hanke, alongside senior officials. Our focus was to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between our two regions for the benefit of our people.

Building on our earlier agreement with the Austrian government for the establishment of a K-9 Training Unit to enhance security in Enugu, we are excited to explore new areas of partnership. We have noted Vienna’s remarkable achievements in economic growth, quality of life, and social development, and we are eager to collaborate on these fronts, including waste management and sustainable urban solutions.

In Enugu, we have committed to growing our economy from $4.4bn to $30bn and positioning our state as the top destination for business, investment, tourism and living. Our progress in security, education, water supply, ICT, and digitisation has been significant, but we are determined to push even further.

I am pleased that Vienna has shown keen interest in working with us, and with the support of Oliver Stribl from Vienna Holdings, we will be formalising a comprehensive partnership. This will include detailed action steps and timelines to ensure mutual benefit for both states.

I also had the honour of meeting with the President of the Austrian Parliament, Mag. Wolfgang Sobotka, to discuss further avenues for collaboration.

Tomorrow is here!

The Enugu State Government has insisted that the sit-at-home order by faceless persons is illegal.

The Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, in a statement yesterday, said the government’s attention had been drawn to a video by a criminal element on the social media, advising the people of the South East to stay at home today and tomorrow.

He said Peter Mbah’s administration had demonstrated the capacity to keep the state safe as adequate security arrangements and infrastructure had been put in place.

“Also, workers and businesses that fail to turn up at their places of work or business will have themselves to blame for sabotaging the effort of the government to maintain law and order in the state,” Onyia stated.

Similarly, the spokesman of the state police command, Daniel Ndukwe, urged the people of the state to go about their lawful duties.

“The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has described the advise and the reasons for a sit-at-home by a criminally-minded and faceless individual as baseless, unwarranted, and a deliberate attempt to incite fear and unrest in the state,” he said.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has lauded the Enugu State governor, Dr Peter Mbah, over his massive investments in the state’s health sector, saying he has distinguished himself from others as a pro-health governor with a strong political commitment to health.

This was made known by the WHO Zonal Coordinator in the South East, Dr Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, during an inspection tour of the newly completed Type 2 Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) at Emene in Enugu East LGA, as well as Ogbaku and Mmaku in Awgu LGA of the state on Thursday.

Dr Igboekwu observed that the Mbah administration’s ongoing construction of the primary health care facilities in the 260 electoral wards in the state is an investment that will ensure the most sustainable pathway towards achieving health security and universal health coverage for the people of Enugu State.

According to him, WHO, as the guardian of public health, will continue to support and partner with the state to prioritise health, saying that investment in health is a catalyst for economic growth through a healthier labour force and higher productivity.

“By this laudable initiative, the governor has set himself and his government apart from others as an outstanding pro-health governor with a strong political commitment to health. The building and equipping of these health facilities, and by extension, the revitalisation of the primary healthcare system, is at the heart of the SDGs on human capital development, especially goal 3, which talks about good health and wellbeing.

“The WHO is glad that the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, has committed himself and his government to building a strong, resilient health system that delivers the highest attainable standard of health outcomes for the people of Enugu State in line with the goals of UHC and SDGs,” the coordinator said.



Speaking, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, ENPHCDA, Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, said that the revitalisation of the primary health care system in the state was in line with the governor’s promise to make Enugu a beacon of primary health care not only in the east but the entire Nigeria.

According to her, some of the facilities in some parts of the state were already running, and so many would soon be completed and commissioned to deliver optimal services to the people of the communities, who are equally the owners of the projects and part of the facility management system.

Dr Ani-Osheku maintained that the phase one flagship project of the facilities was already at its final stage, thanking the WHO, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, and other partners for their support in ensuring a wave of change in the state.

“Part of our role is to ensure that we deliver qualitative health promotion and education. When people know a lot about positive health-changing behaviours and institute them, it brings about positive behavioural change. We are also heavy in the immunisation space with our partners. This ensures that our children and community members do not die from preventable causes.

“Through the support of the state government led by Dr. Peter Mbah, our National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and our partners, we are currently in supplemental immunisation activities against measles. We are ensuring that pregnant women are able to access antenatal services to protect them and their babies. We are equally providing people with the right information that will guide the parents in planning their family size based on how much they can accommodate,” Dr Ani-Osheku said.

On the personnel that will run the facilities, she said that the state government was already expanding the array of staff that would be employed, as the state would not limit itself to the status quo of the already existing community health workers.

The Federal Government has commended the transformation of primary healthcare in Enugu State by the Governor Peter Mbah Administration, saying the state was well ahead in repositioning that layer of the healthcare system.

The commendation was given at the weekend by the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, during a working visit to Governor Mbah at the Government House, Enugu.

“Enugu people are happy with you. The Federal Government is happy with you too for a number of reasons. When we came up, we said we want to revitalise our primary healthcare centres across the country. You got ahead of us. The news we are getting is extremely encouraging and that is one of the reasons why this is the first stop. This is my first visit to any state.

“You have gone ahead of us to commence the construction of 260 new health facilities. That is no mean feat. You have not just talked about it, you have actually completed some. You have awarded contracts for all. It is indeed a great honour and privilege to be here today given all of these strides.

“Beyond what I have just said, you have also focused on health workers, which is another big thing. You know that there is a shortage of health workers in the health sector broadly, but also in the primary healthcare system specifically. You are recruiting health workers of different cadres. You should be congratulated for this.

“We are also aware and we want to thank you because you are one governor, who is prompt to his counterpart-funding responsibility when there is funding needed for health activities and for health campaigns. I have never had to call you to plead to release funding,” he stated.

Dr. Aina said given the strides, the FG was going to support the state with N254m to help revitialise existing facilities to complement the new ones being constructed by the Governor Mbah Administration.

“Encouraged by all of these strides you are making, I would like to also tell you that Enugu State will benefit from the ongoing revitalisation of PHCs. We have completed the assessment of 253 facilities here and from what we found, there are quite a bit of gaps and we also stepped up.

“About 162 of them have the number of skilled birth attendants that you need to fully operate. Also, some of them need staff accommodation. We are going to support you.

“The sum of N254million has already been earmarked as part of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund that you will use to revitalise some of these facilities. We have over twenty that we will also be revitalising for the state to support your efforts.”

He added that the agency was ready to collaborate with the state in the area of training of manpower and replacement of obsolete cold chain infrastructure, among others.

Responding, Governor Mbah welcomed the support, noting that FG’s effort to reposition the education system was in sync with his administration’s priorities.

“We identified primary healthcare as one of those critical subsectors that we need to address. When we went out there to campaign in our various communities, there was hardly anyone that did not raise the issue of access to healthcare facility.

“We saw that with the state of the infrastructure we have and we are working on improving them. But we also saw the need to build brand new facilities. We are doing 260 Level 2 PHCs. But we are also more intrested in the equipment or facilities. In each Type 2 PHC we are doing currently also has a staff quarters to ensure a round the clock access to healthcare in these villages and rural areas. It was critical to us.

“But we know that 260 will not cut it for us. So, that is why the announcement you made here about the FG working with us to revamp some of the existing PHCs that may be reviveable excites us so much.”

The governor said the government was recruiting 2,200 health workers to address the deficits in the healthcare space in the state.

“Even though what you may notice is our recruitment of 450 health workers, but the approval is actually 2,200. We did the analysis and the data we saw on pregnant women that have no access to healthcare personnel at delivery was scary. We knew we needed to ramp up very quickly,” Governor Mbah stated.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has urged the newly elected local government chairmen in the state to be creative and innovative in their performance while focusing on optimising values that will create solutions through lean spending.

Mbah gave the charge at the weekend in Enugu at a three-day Enugu State Local Government Executive Leadership Retreat, with the theme, “Aligning Strategy for Sustainable Economic and Infrastructure Delivery at the Local Government Level.”

He reminded the council chairmen and their deputies that the euphoria of honeymoon was long over, saying it’s time to hit the ground running in their respective local governments.

The governor pointed out that everybody in the council areas was looking up to them to deliver on their promises which should take the path of a fast-paced governance model for their impact to be meaningful.

“When you develop your strategies, what will keep you moving is your love for your people. You must have a clear action plan. As a leader you must have measurable indicators. Your vision and action plan must be strategic and borne out of a framework that will guide your structure. In the private sector, you must have your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The same applies to the public sector,” Governor Mbah added.

While tasking them on transparency, prudence, accountability and accessibility to the people, the governor reiterated that public money, which is not their personal property, must be used for the collective interest of the people.

Speaking on optimal performance, Mbah said the only way council leaders could transform their areas was through disruptive innovation, target setting, key performance indicators, frequent review and evaluation management and thinking outside the box to disrupt the status quo.

He insisted that the world is rapidly evolving through technology and innovation, stating that his administration was clear on its envisioned goals through its Statement of Purpose which embodied the ongoing 260 Smart Green Schools, 260 Type-2 primary healthcare centres,10,000km road construction, eradication of poverty through human capital development and empowerment programmes, deliberate state policies on making Enugu an investment destination, and huge investment in other capital projects that will make the state a hub of investment opportunities for the youth.

According to him, the little resources from the federal government were only a fraction of what the administration required to execute its ambitious plans leading to a creative alternative financing model where the government mobilises domestic revenues, radically cuts overhead costs, revamps dormant assets and eliminates waste in governance.

Earlier in a welcome address, the secretary to the state government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, said the training was aimed at communicating Gov Mbah’s agenda and vision to drive accelerated economic growth and achieve a zero percent poverty headcount in the state.

The Enugu State government has demolished yet another property allegedly used for kidnapping activities in the state, warning landlords that it would enforce the bringing down of any property linked to such evil acts.

In August, SaharaReporters reported that the state government demolished properties linked to kidnapping at Ogbeke Nike and Nkwubor Nike areas, both in Enugu East LGA, recovering cache of arms and ammunition.


Section 315 (Second Amendment) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State provides, “If the building or structure owned by the offender or any other person, who knows or ought to reasonably know that the building or structure is so being used for that purpose, the building or structure shall be demolished or forfeited to the State Government.”

However, addressing journalists at the site Saturday's demolition, the Executive Chairman, Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Mr Uche Anya, explained that the mansion located at Amaebo Owelli Autonomous Community in Awgu LGA, was used for keeping victims of kidnapping.


According to him, the video of a male kidnapping victim, who had several AK-47 rifles pointed at his head in May 2024, was recorded in the same building, but security agencies were able to track the building, rescuing the victim, while also apprehending most of the criminals and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition.


“What you see here today is the continuation of the war of the Enugu State government against all manner of criminality. Today, we are here to take down a kidnappers’ den. The property you see us taking down right now is a place where horrendous criminal activities happened.

“For instance, on 25th of May 2024, some deadly kidnappers abducted a man in Enugu, brought him here, stripped bare, even naked to his red boxers, bound him, pointed guns at him, and forced him to start talking to his family to request for money. They posted that video to his relatives.


“They held him down, but to the glory of God and the commitment of Governor Mbah, who is giving his all to security, the government and security agencies, through our state-of-the-art security system, were able to see what was happening in this rural community.

“Security agencies moved to the place. Every other person was arrested, but the kingpin escaped to Ebonyi. We tracked him to Ebonyi, and he escaped to Lagos where the Enugu State Government and the security agencies caught up with him."


Interestingly, the kingpin of the gang that did this nonsense was a member of the same gang we went after somewhere at Ogbeke Nike.

“To those who say why not convert these properties to good use, we want these to serve as a deterrent in accordance with the law. The Enugu State Government does not want anything that will remind us of the deadly criminality.


"We just want to put it out of our minds. We do not need to acquire a criminal’s property to use it to serve the public. We bring it down and we do our own thing. We do not want to profit from their criminality,” he stated.

Calling for vigilance on the part of property owners, he said, “So, this is a warning to every landlord. The Enugu State Government will never accept it as an excuse. I am in Australia. I am in America. My brother-in-law took people to my property. Every landlord, once you put up a house in Enugu, we hold you responsible for any criminality that happens in your property; and once it becomes a violent crime, kidnapping, killing, armed robbery, we will take down the property in line with the law that was made by our predecessors. We will enforce it to the letter.

“As I speak to you, the government has taken over this property. That is why we are tearing it down. The title deed is revoked. The government of Enugu State will probably put up a clinic or something that will be more beneficial to the people of Owelli Court."

I am pleased to announce that my recent expose on the poorly reconstructed Aideyan/Golf Course road in GRA, Benin, has yielded swift results. Less than 48 hours after I issued a marching order for the contractors to fix the road as soon as possible, during an inspection exercise, they have returned to the site to rectify the issues.

As the Deputy Governor of Edo State, I am committed to ensuring that our infrastructure meets the highest standards. The Aideyan/Golf Course road is a critical artery that serves many residents and businesses, and its poor condition was unacceptable.

I want to commend the contractors for their prompt response and commitment to delivering quality work. As a government, we will no longer tolerate substandard work, even as we continue to prioritize the people's interests.

To the good people of Edo State, I assure you that, up to the last day of this administration, we will continue to work tirelessly to address the challenges facing our dear state. Let's continue to work together to build a better Edo State.

— HPS

The Enugu State Government has described as mischievous and fake news, a report, which claimed that the state ranked 36th out of 36 states of Nigeria in an Ease of Doing Business Subnational Survey carried out by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC.


The rebuttal was made by the Enugu State Focal Person on Ease of Doing Business and Managing Director of Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, on Wednesday.

[B]Ogbu-Nwobodo, who is also a member of the PEBEC-NEC Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Technical Working Group (TWG), representing Southeast region, explained that the first ever Subnational Baseline Survey and Ranking was released by PEBEC in 2021, followed by the second edition released on Monday, March 27, 2023, more than two months before Dr. Peter Mbah was sworn in as governor on May 29, 2023, while the third edition is due in March 2025.[/b]

He, therefore, wondered how those behind the fake report came about the purported new Ease of Doing Business ranking of Enugu State, describing it as “a fake report from the pit of hell and coven of bitter political losers.”

Puncturing the report further, the MD explained that whereas Subnational Baseline Survey measures only six indicators, the offensive report referred to 10 indicators, including economic and social indices, which he said, were never part of the survey.

He further explained: “The subnational Baseline Survey measures state performances against six indicators and not the ten so-called ‘Key Economic and Social Indices’ mentioned in the report.

“The official indicators are infrastructure, which covers electricity, transportation, logistics, telecoms, internet and digital access; security, which measures secure and stable environment; transparency and accessibility of information; regulatory environment, which measures business registration, license renewal, contract enforcement, land and property acquisition and taxation; skills and labour, including expertise and talent; and economic opportunity.”

The Managing Director added that contrary to the report, the Governor Mbah Administration had improved Ease of Doing Business in Enugu State, a fact, he said, has been variously confessed by both local and foreign investors as well as diplomats.

He said that the over N300bn worth of investments garnered by Enugu State in the last three months was a testimony to the fast-rising investors’ confidence in the state under Mbah’s leadership.

His words: “Upon assumption of office, Governor Mbah adopted a structured and systematic approach to enabling business climate reforms as the bedrock of the ongoing economic renaissance aimed at growing the state’s GDP from $4.4bn to $30bn in eight years.

“This was demonstrated by the issue of Executive Order 003 by the governor minutes after his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The order was further expanded by Executive Order 005 on Promotion of Economic Growth through Transparency and Efficiency in Government Service Provision and Ease of Investment in Enugu State.

“Consequently, the administration purposefully embarked on the most groundbreaking business-enabling reform initiatives ever witnessed in the state.

“These are evident in the areas of security, infrastructure development, urban renewal, e-governance, economic diversification and industrialisation as well as the revitalisation of some of the moribund government-owned enterprises and various other initiatives for improved efficiency in government services and enhanced transparency and accountability.”

The government faulted claims of over-taxation in the state by the opposition, explaining that it did not increase tax, but only widened the tax net, checkmated tax evasion, while also introducing e-payment to plug leakages in revenue collection.

Enugu State Government is taking steps to introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of the efforts to preserve the environment and also make transportation affordable for citizens.

The state government has equally created the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to oversight and catalyse investment in the energy and mineral sector.

These were made known by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozor, after a meeting of the State Executive Council at the weekend.

Briefing Government House correspondents after the meeting, Prof. Onyia said, “Recall that earlier in this administration, the governor signed the Enugu State Electricity Law, and that Law requires that an independent regulator will be set up, but there will also be a supervising ministry that will handle all our engagements in the energy space and also in our mineral resource space.

Considering the level of mineral resources availability in Enugu State, the government had decided, at the end of EXCO today, to now create this Ministry and the mandate includes oversight of most of our investment opportunities within the solid mineral space and also to help catalyse investments in the energy space. EXCO resolved that this new Ministry would take effect immediately.”

On his part, Dr. Ozor said the state was not only introducing CNG buses but also building the supporting infrastructure to ensure ease of operation and safety of commuters, noting that the government is also doing its part to not only invest more in buying CNG buses but also to support private sector investment in the transportation space.

The Executive Council resolved that it is very important for the state and her citizens to begin the process of transitioning from petrol to CNG which saves about half of the cost of fuel in our transportation, thereby reducing the cost of transportation for our people.

“All these are geared towards bringing safe and affordable and sustainable transportation system. This ties into the infrastructure that is underway – the bus terminals, improved bus shelters, the internet of things, and gadgets in these buses that will allow us to be able to know where our citizens are and make sure that they are safe from any incident.


“The state is also creating an enabling environment to attract the right investors within the CNG space and the state has already done that with partnership with Greenville Energy,” he stated.

He explained that the government was already constructing a massive CNG mother station at Ugwu Onyeama, which would have the capacity to serve the entire South East, adding that the construction of the ancillary daughter stations that would look like filling stations would commence in a matter of weeks.

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has awarded scholarships up to university level as well as cash rewards to the four representatives of the state, who also won the 25th edition of the President’s Inter-Secondary School Debate Championship in Abuja.

This was even as the victorious students predicated their victory on the governor’s commitment and huge investment in education, noting that Enugu State was hitherto unable to participate in the competition for over ten years due to lack of support.

The victorious contingent is made up of Emmanuella Chukwuma of Holy Rosary College, Enugu; Chiamaka Okwuibe of Queen’s School, Enugu; Goodness Chinedu Chiemerie of St. Patrick’s College, Emene, Enugu; and Chibuikem Ukadike of the College of the Immaculate Conception, CIC, Enugu. Mr. Malachi Eze of CIC and Mrs. Joy Agbala of the Post-Secondary School Management Board (PPSMB), coordinated and prepared the team

Receiving the team, which was at the Government House, Enugu, to present the trophy to him, Thursday evening, Mbah said the victory showed that his administration’s investment in education was paying off, reiterating his government’s wealth creation drive and the non-kinetic aspect of the war on insecurity were heavily dependent on education.

“When we made the pronouncement that we were going to spend 33 percent of our budget on education; that for every N100, we will spend N33 on education, a lot of people thought it was mere posturing or perhaps to earn public acclaim. But we know that if we are to achieve a zero per cent rate on the poverty headcount index, we must do something radical in our education sector.

New Enugu City, one of the flagship projects of the Governor Peter Mbah Administration to reposition Enugu State as the premier destination for business, investment, tourism and for living, has received a major boost, as Nigerian diaspora community in the Guangdong Province of China have profusely keyed into the project.

This was even as Governor Mbah assured that critical services in the first phase of the city would be ready in 12 to 18 months, explaining that the China Communications and Construction Company, CCCC, had since commenced intensive work at the site in October 2023.

They spoke during a roadshow organised in Guangzhou City to market the project, with Nigerians, Ndigbo and Enugu indigenes in the province trouping out en masse to participate and also welcomed the governor with fanfare and cultural music.

The Consul-General of the Nigerian Mission in Guangzhou, Ambassador George Onwuekwe; President of Nigerian community in Guangzhou, Adebutu Olanrewaju; and the President of the Enugu State Association, Guangzhou, Hyacinth Ezeka, commended Mbah for his big dream and investment drive.

Ezeka said: “We are delighted for such development in Enugu State. If the governor continues this way, Enugu State will be the best in South-East and Nigeria. What he is pushing for is the dream we have had for Enugu for a very long time now.


“He has big dreams and he will achieve them with our support. I am advising every Igbo person to invest in Enugu. Coming to Enugu to invest is like ‘Aku ruo ulo’.”

While urging the Nigerian diaspora community to invest in Enugu, Olarenwaju noted that although Guangzhou boasts of many successful Nigerian business, Mbah was the first Nigerian governor and government official to come into that region of China to engage with them.

Speaking with newsmen, Mbah expressed happiness over the high interest in the smart city and assured that the government was working with CCCC to build an iconic smart city that would compete with the best anywhere in the world.

His words: “We understand the value of achieving great economic growth, but we also know that it should also happen in a very conducive residential area and that was essentially what gave birth to the New Enugu City.

“So, we have come to market to them the New Enugu City, which is a smart city, and our engagement with diasporans in the Guangdong Province has been a tremendous success because what we have seen here is a huge expression of interest.

“The people have continually expressed interest to invest and to also come and take up a place at the New Enugu City.


“The new Enugu City is unique. And I think it is the single largest development that is currently going on in the country in terms of real estate. It has the Happy Island that essentially features a wide array of services such as residential area, cutting edge medical centre, and a sports arena.

“We have the Innovative Park with the innovation industrial park. We also have the ICT for the Innovation Park. We have the Vitality Bay, which is essentially going to house the cooperate headquarters of blue-chip companies and also some government offices.

“All the utilities that you need to live there, such as power, water, gas, high-speed internet, are all going to be provided. So, essentially, the City is fully serviced and it is going to be a plug and play for those coming to live there.

“Importantly, we are partnering with CCCC, one of the world’s best. We are also working with a lot of consulting firms from the United Kingdom. So, in the next 12 to 18 months, these services would have all been ready. We should start seeing buildings rise up in the next 12 months.”

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of CCCC Nigeria, Feng Yu, has expressed delight at its partnership with the Mbah Administration to actualise the New Enugu City.


“The project has already started. The development is phase-by-phase. We have confidence to bring our technology and to bring development to Enugu State and Igbo people. We believe that with your cooperation we can contribute to change that area,” he said.

The Enugu State Government has announced plans for a landmark trade fair that will accelerate growth for local businesses as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Announcing the initiative at a press conference in Enugu, the Special Adviser to the Governor on MSMEs and Digital Economy, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, said that the trade fair would be held under the banner of the newly created brand, the “Enugu 042 Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair.”

“This inaugural event will take place on the second and third of November, 2024, and is expected to become an annual fixture on the state’s business calendar,” he said.

He explained that the fair is a collaborative effort between the Enugu State Government, through its SME Agency and Office of Digital Economy, and NaijaBrandChick, a renowned business influencer and entrepreneur dedicated to empowering SMEs across Nigeria and beyond.

Chilo-Offiah maintained that the initiative aligns with Governor Peter Mbah administration’s vision to invigorate Enugu’s economy by promoting private-sector investment and facilitating the ease of doing business.

On her part, Founder, NaijaBrandChick, Mrs. Nelly Agbogu, said that vendors from across Nigeria and beyond are expected to participate in the fair, creating a melting pot of business opportunities and market connections.

“Our goal is to empower these businesses by making them more visible, connecting them to new customers, and helping them grow,” she said. “Beyond facilitating trade, Agbogu emphasised that the fair would also include workshops and training sessions for participants.”

As part of the effort of his administration to grow the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn and ensure food security, tractors needed for farming in Enugu State will be produced in the state before the end of the year, governor of the state, Dr. Peter Mbah has announced.

The governor stated this when he received the newly elected President of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye, and other leaders of the association at the Government House, Enugu, at the weekend.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment and helping to de-risk investment in the state, calling on investors to key into the growing investment revolution in the state.

“We are ready for business and we are open for business. You could not make a better choice than Enugu when you are thinking about where to invest or where to grow your wealth because you are dealing with a government that is business-friendly and we do not only think about creating the environment for businesses to thrive, we are also interested in working with you collaboratively either as a Joint Venture (JV) or Private Public Sector Partnership (PPP) or even helping you to de-risk the investment flow. We are interested in listening to you, knowing what areas that would make it possible for you to invest.

“We have just signed an order with a Danish company that is coming here to manufacture their tractors. So, our target is that before the end of the year, we would have been able to assemble over 300 tractors. Our ultimate target in the medium term is to get up to 1,000 tractors before the end of next year.

“What this means is that you would not have to import the machinery and the implements you need to be able to farm in Enugu State.

“Again, we are interested in value addition and processing too. We are building a Special Processing Zone where we expect that as we plan to scale up our production in the agricultural space, we have produced cities where those things can be processed. It is not just producing and exporting them raw. We are planning to add value, create and capture those values,” Mbah said.

He added that the government was taking measures to ensure the availability of the necessary infrastructure, ranging from urban roads to access roads to farm, power, and water, while also making huge investments in security and collaborating with security agencies to sustain and strengthen the relative security attained by the state in the last 15 months.

“In the area of roads, our target is to make sure that all our streets, all our roads in the city are paved and we are already achieving that. Just recently, we completed the 71 roads we awarded last October and we again awarded another 141 roads. We are also making sure that we also get our rural roads paved, most importantly the access road to the farmlands because we have some ambitious target in our agricultural sector where we now have over 300,000 hectares of land in our landbank,” he said.

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, Thursday, performed the formal flag-off of the revitalisation of the Enugu United Palm Products Limited, EUPPL.

The flag-off, which took place at Ibite-Olo, Ezeagu LGA of the state, was sequel to the N100bn deal between the Enugu State Government and Pragmatic Palms Limited, PPL, in May this year.

At the event during which he equally performed the groundbreaking for the staff quarters at the plantation, Mbah thanked the people of the state for believing in his vision and determination to revive and convert the state’s moribund assets to productive assets.

“For me, this flag-off is a triumph of vision over cynicism. Recall that a few months ago, when we announced an investment of N100bn in partnership with Pragmatic Palms Limited, the news was greeted with a lot of cynicism and doubt. We had a lot of naysayers and critics, who ascribed all sorts of things to this humongous investment. But as you have seen, we were absolutely clear as to what we wanted to achieve and accomplish for our people in Enugu State.

“So, what this groundbreaking ceremony represents for us is a new lease of life for Pragmatic Palm Product Limited. It also shows that we are getting closer to our dream to transform Enugu State as a premier destination for investment, industry, tourism, business and living.

“Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to reassure the management and executive of PPL of our commitment to supporting every step of this investment,” he said.

Speaking, the Managing Director/CEO of Pragmatic Palms Limited (PPL), Prof. George Nwangwu, rolled out a five-year aggressive plan to reposition EUPPL as one of the leading integrated oil palm establishments in Nigeria, playing in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.

He added that the firm would create 3,500 direct and indirect jobs.

In the upstream, he said that with only 40 per cent of the 6,700 hectres of land planted so far, EUPPL would embark on aggressive planting of the unplanted lands, increasing the planted area to at least 20,000 hectres in five years.

In the midstream, Prof. Nwangwu said, “We will set up world-class oil mills across the three locations as well as increasing the oil production capacity over time.

“We will also set up and improve our refining capacity to produce crude palm oil, palm kernel oil, olein, stearin, biodiesel, as well as refined, bleached, and deodorised oil.

“In the downstream, we plan to have a share of the retail market by setting up the largest network of agents to aggregate fresh fruit bunches from around our catchment area.”

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Adaora Chukwu, recalled that EUPPL, originally established by the government of the defunct East Central State in 1970 on 6,700 hectares traversing Ibite-Olo in Ezeagu LGA, Ugwuoba in Oji River LGA, and Umulokpa in Uzo-Uwani LGA, though initially viable, was crippled by mismanagement, obsolete equipment, and limited market access.

She, however, said that the N100bn joint venture sealed between the state government and Pragmatic Palm Limited in which the state provides the land/plantations, while PPL provides finance for 60 per cent of the transaction, would see to the turnaround of the company to the immense benefit of the state through job creation, economic diversification, infrastructural development, revenue generation, technology development, innovation, among others.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, said the partnership between the Enugu State Government and PPL towards the revitalisation of EUPPL was very strategic to the overall vision of the Mbah administration for the agriculture sector.

Meanwhile, the host communities, lauded Governor Mbah for reviving the EUPPL after over 40 years of dormancy and ruin, with a businessman and community leader from Olo, Johnmary Anagolu, pledging a donation of N50m to support the administration’s infrastructural development in the area.

The Enugu State Government says it has suspended the Industrial Gas Emission Levy introduced by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, pursuant to an extinct state environmental law.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG ), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu and made available to newsmen on Wednesday.

Onyia stated that the levy, which was handled by consultants to the ministry, was suspended on August 29 and that the consultancy terminated with immediate effect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ministry was quoted as saying that the use of power sources, other than the national grid, contravened several sections of the state’s environmental laws and was subject to fines.

It was learned that a notice sent to an Enugu resident on August 28, allegedly by the ministry, stated that the resident violated sections 124, 125, 126, 127, and 128, by using an alternative power source. was learned that a notice sent to an Enugu resident on August 28, allegedly by the ministry, stated that the resident violated sections 124, 125, 126, 127, and 128, by using an alternative power source.

The ministry allegedly instructed the resident to pay a fine of N88,000 within seven days to the Paskay Global Ventures account or face prosecution.

But the SSG described such a report as blatant falsehood, adding that the government’s legislative and policy directions favored all renewable and green energy sources and saw them as environmentally friendly.

He explained that the ministry acted within its powers, given the provisions of Section 4 (2) and Section 124 of the Enugu State Environmental and Climate Protection Law, 2024, which covered enforcement of environmental laws.

The SSG added that section 125 of the law, prescribed fines for “obnoxious gaseous emissions into the environment,” but that such levies and enforcements were premature as the necessary groundwork and infrastructure were still being put in place.

He stated: “Recent reports have highlighted the collection of levies on alternative energy sources by consultants engaged by the ministry.

“After reviewing the matter, the government directed the immediate cessation of this levy collection and termination of the consultancy, effective from August 29.

“Furthermore, the governor has directed that any levies that have already been collected must be refunded to the payers without delay.”



Onyia added that while it was important to note that the Environmental and Climate Protection Law of Enugu State empowered the ministry to enforce regulations reducing emissions of toxic gases, the necessary groundwork for the full implementation of these provisions were not yet complete.

“The government is currently in the process of developing a comprehensive climate policy, which will outline a balanced framework for promoting business and industrial activities, while fostering clean innovation and sustainable practices across the state.

“Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration remains committed to protecting the environment and addressing environmental pollution.



“It is equally committed to doing so in a way that ensures fairness, transparency, and regard to proper regulatory preparation,” Onyia added.

In line with the administration’s promise to reverse the flow of medical tourism and position Enugu State as the preferred destination for business, investment, tourism, and living, the Enugu State Government has announced that it is embarking on the construction of a 300-bed, ultramodern quaternary health facility to be known as the Enugu International Hospital.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, disclosed this at the end of the Enugu State Executive Council, EXCO, meeting presided over by Governor Peter Mbah at the weekend.

Briefing Government House correspondents, Prof. Obi said that besides providing excellent and highly specialised medical services, the Enugu International Hospital, situated in the heart of Enugu city, would equally serve as a citadel of medical research and training.

“This means that tomorrow is finally here in the health sector because primary healthcare is being addressed, secondary healthcare is being addressed, tertiary healthcare is also being addressed.

“Now we are going to add quaternary healthcare to the scope, which simply means that an extension of tertiary care and advanced levels of medicine, which are highly specialised and not widely accessed, will be available in Enugu in no distant time. So, medical tourism will reverse our environment.

The Enugu International Hospital is going to come up at Rangers Avenue. So, it will be centrally located in Enugu and easily accessible from the international airport.

“It will be the type of place that will give excellent medical services, including research and training. It will be that type of hospital that people will no longer have any reason to leave the shores of Nigeria for healthcare,” Prof Obi stated.

The Commissioner also informed that the meeting discussed measures to control the Mpox disease, previously known as Monkeypox, which he explained had become a major international concern. He added that EXCO directed a scale-up of an awareness campaign on the disease.

“Mpox has now become a disease of public health of international concern, and the government of Enugu State has had discussions on how to ensure that effective surveillance, control, and prevention of any upsurge of Mpox in the state will be put in place.

“The Ministry of Health is, therefore, working with the other health sector players, including the Akanu Ibiam International Airport’s Port Health Services, to ensure that Enugu citizens are aware, safe, and minimise their exposure to the Mpox,” the Commissioner concluded.

In another development, the government also announced the constitution of a broad-based committee to accelerate the implementation of the Enugu State Geological Information System Service Law 2024.

Briefing Government House correspondents, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kingsley Udeh, said the intent was also to enhance the value of land holding in Enugu State. Those who own a flat in the city or a piece of land in the village will be able to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy to make their property bankable because the entire state would be captured digitally.

“With the implementation of the Enugu State Geographic Information System, the era of applying for a Certificate of Occupancy, which will take months to handle, will be a thing of the past because everything about land administration in the state will be managed digitally and electronically. This is a high-end technology, and we are not discussing what is far-fetched but what is already being implemented. So, EXCO approved strengthening and expediting the implementation.

“So, it will be fully on stream and operational very soon. This will transform not just land holding and administration but also everything that relates to data concerning land. And all these are geared towards the Governor’s vision to eradicate poverty and also connected to growing our GDP from $4.4bn to $30bn,” Udeh stated.

Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah has commissioned an asphalt production plant built by his administration In furtherance of his campaign promise to construct 10,000 roads in eight years.

Inaugurating the plant Thursday, Mbah said the state would also produce the inputs for asphalt production, noting these moves would drastically reduce the cost of road construction for the state.

“The asphalt production plant is designed to produce 160 tons of asphalt per hour,” he said. “For context, it will produce 2.5 tons every minute and 160 tons per hour,”.

Speaking further, he said “What it effectively means is that if we decide to work 20 hours in a day, we can produce 3,200 tons every day. This is not seen anywhere in the South East,”.

He noted that his administration will also inaugurate a plant where the stones needed to feed this plant will be mined and crushed.

“It is our hope that we are going to start the exploration of bitumen in the state because we are also blessed with bitumen. So, in a few years time, we are going to be able to produce the bitumen that will feed this plant. It means that we will get the bitumen here, get the stones, and sand so that everything is made in Enugu,” the governor said.

JUST IN: Governor Peter Mbah set to commission the newly installed Enugu State Asphalt Plant, tomorrow, the largest in the region.
@PNMbah’s road construction, rehabilitation and expansion programme is about starting off in earnest.
#TomorrowIsHere

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Tuesday, joined the people of the state in commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the state’s creation, saying that his administration was also getting ready to celebrate the 115th anniversary of Enugu city as a pre-eminent centre of history, commerce, and administration.

He paid glowing tributes to the founding fathers of the state, reiterating his administration’s determination to hasten their lofty dreams to fruition.

Speaking at the ceremony organised by the Enugu State Development Association, ESDA, in the state’s capital to mark the 33rd anniversary of the creation of the state on August 27, 1991, Mbah, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, said his administration was determined to bequeath a state where unprecedented development, social justice, and equal opportunity reign.

The governor said, “As we commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the creation of Enugu State, I congratulate Ndi Enugu and enjoin them to always take pride in its long and illustrious history. Enugu State may rightly be described as 33 years old as a formal state. Yet, its history stretches farther back.

“The history of Enugu is very much the history of Nigeria’s evolution from pre-amalgamation, when the discovery of coal in Enugu, in 1909, became a watershed moment for the then fledging Southern and Northern Protectorates.

“So, today is an opportunity to recall the sacrifice of our founding fathers, for whom the creation of our dear state was a lifelong project. We honour their steadfast commitment, not just in words, but by our bold actions aimed at enthroning a new socio-economic order consistent with the dreams that birthed Enugu State.

“We carry in our hearts the fire of the dreams of the titans whose struggles helped make Enugu the cosmopolitan state that it is today.

“Indeed, we recall as well the sacrifice of our forebears whose sweat and toil built the coal mines from where much of the wealth that oiled the wheel of development of our dear nation was derived. Let us be inspired by their resilience and sacrifice.

“In November, we would be celebrating the 115th anniversary of Enugu as a pre-eminent centre of history, commerce and administration. The pride that Enugu State’s history inspires should never seem like a false dawn.

“Today serves as yet another reminder that we carry the weight of history and the people’s expectations, which could be lessened only through sustained delivery of people-centred governance. It is a cause to which I am wholly committed.

“Together we can make Enugu State the premier destination for investment, business, tourism, and a place where basic utilities can truly be taken for granted. We are actually ticking all the boxes – from public water supply to quality public education and expanding the primary healthcare system.”


Calling for optimism, Mbah assured, “The dreams of Enugu’s founding fathers are not dreams betrayed. We have an absolute fidelity to those dreams, and to our pledge to bequeath a society of which the generations yet unborn will always be proud.

“So, let optimism blossom where cynicism once reigned, for we are on the cusp of a renaissance.”

In his welcome address, the President-General of ESDA, HRH Igwe Ezeudo Abel Nwobodo, paid tribute to the founding fathers and leaders of the state from inception till date, lauded Mbah transforming dreams to reality at grate speed.

“We are indeed particularly grateful to God for our amiable, capable, indefectible, and quintessential governor, whose mantra, ‘Tomorrow is here’, is a manifestation of fulfilment of the dreams of our founding fathers, who saw a greater tomorrow ahead of them,” the elder statesman said.

In his remark, the Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Igwe Samuel Asadu, said Governor Mbah was divinely prepared and preserved to lead Enugu into the long-awaited development and prosperity.

Asadu also stressed the need to educate the younger ones on Enugu’s historic journey to statehood to enable them appreciate the sacrifices and struggles that birthed the state to prepare to work for its continued greatness.

The members of Federal House of Representatives representing Abeokuta South Constituency at the National Assembly Hon Afolabi Afuape on Monday launched a 2-day free medical outreach to residents of his constituency.

Penpushing reports that thousands of residents’ majority elderly besieged the Centenary Hall located in Ake area of Abeokuta South local government of Ogun State to benefits from the gestures, which was the initiative of the lawmaker.

The free medical services include various medical examinations such as blood pressure, eyes, tooth, blood, sugar level, diabetes, malaria and minor surgery among others, as well as provision of drugs to all those who came for the medical services

Penpushing further reports that medical personnel which include Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists and Physiotherapists were engaged in the exercise which attracted large number of beneficiaries from the local government areas

The initiator of the programme which was part of constituency project in an interview with journalists the free medical outreach was a key aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), stressing that health is wealth

Penpushing also reports that Afuape popularly called ‘Afoo’ emphasized his commitment to ensure the well-being of his constituents, and that he doesn’t mind if he has to spend from his personal funds, as he equally pledged to take responsibility for any additional medical expenses incurred by beneficiaries.

‘Health is very important and this is one of the goals of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). We thought that we need to look at the health status of our people and going forward, some people might need minor surgery, this is part of my constituency project to give back to my constituency’, he stated.

“If they need minor surgery I may need to spend more from my own personal money because I so much believe that once our people are healthy then all other things shall be added onto it. We don’t have a target but I’m very happy with the turnout’, Afuape added.

‘These exercises cover, malaria/typhoid, ulcer, eye, teeth, high blood pressure, diabetes, surgery (minor), first aid ambulance service (for emergency) it depends on the Doctors. If at all they discovered something that’s not part of this, they can refer that to another hospital, I can take the responsibility to pay for such person. It’s just a way of giving back to society. With this kind of turnout, I can say clearly that we may need to do this more often, it depends on the feedback,” he said.

Penpushing further reports that Rafiu Egunjobi, a beneficiary of the exercise praised the lawmaker for his initiative pointing out that many politicians forget about them after they’ve been voted in, explaining that Afuape does not belong to such category.

‘This outreach relief us because going to the hospital these days we have to spend a lot of money. We received different kinds of medical treatment here. We give kudos to Hon. Afuape, he has really done well. People are benefiting from different kinds of treatment here. I urged other politicians to emulate him’, Egunjobi said.

‘My advice for politicians is that they only have four years to spend in that position and if they have done well people will be happy to vote them back in that position. They should try to go back to their constituency to see what they are in need of’, he added

The Enugu State Government has announced that it has commenced payment of pensions to local government retirees.

A statement on Sunday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said over 7,000 eligible pensioners have received their payments following a thorough biometric verification process.

Onyia said that the verification exercise conducted by the Local Government Pensioners Biometric Verification Committee identified and eliminated 2,640 ghost and deceased pensioners who were still receiving payments.

“This move is part of the administration’s efforts to clear outstanding pensions and gratuities inherited from previous governments, ensuring that legitimate retirees receive their deserved benefits.

“Recall that Governor Peter Mbah had earlier promised that his administration was poised to eradicate poverty in the state by clearing the inherited backlog of pensions and other liabilities and also keep up with its current fiscal responsibility to the citizens, among other measures. This will improve our people’s standard of living, raise purchasing power and promote strong and sustainable economic growth in the state,” the statement said.

He added that a total of 7109 local government pensioners received monthly payments of close to half a billion naira in July, including 989 newly captured entrants who retired between April 2022 and April 2024 but were not accommodated in the pension scheme.

The SSG, who frowned at the level of fraud in the pensions system, said the record provided by the Local Government Pensions Board indicated that the state had been paying over 8760 local government retirees as of April 2024 against the 7109 verified pensioners.

Reiterating the state government’s commitment to clear all arrears, Onyia stressed that the payment mode adopted by the state would guarantee that backlogs were phased out within the timeline set out by the government.

“This administration will continue to support our citizens, particularly our senior citizens who dedicated their time and energy to serving the state. We will soon phase out all arrears inherited by the administration.

“We are reforming the pensions system through strong institutional policies that would make it difficult for corrupt elements to find their way into the scheme. We have been able to digitalize the institution with measures that would make every transaction and payment transparent, accountable and traceable,” the statement added.

The Enugu State Government, on Wednesday, demolished properties used by suspected kidnappers for keeping their victims in Enugu State.

The development occurred hours after security operatives killed 27 suspected kidnappers at various hideouts in the state.

The Chairperson of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Uche Anya, led a team of government officials and workers to carry out the demolition.

The properties were demolished in communities within Enugu East Council Area of the state.

The government demolished an uncompleted three-story building with an underground tunnel at Nkwubor Layout in Emene-Nike.

“The activities here were even more gruesome. You have seen the underground cell they built and covered it with a manhole.

“Ordinarily, you will think nothing is happening here, only for security agencies to discover that there’s an underground where human beings are kept, and we found their armoury, many AK-47 rifles and other crazy equipment that no civilian is entitled to hold,” Mr Anya said.

“But, today, it has to go down as directed by the governor in accordance with the laws of Enugu State,” he added.

Another demolished property was a large farm housing a poultry, piggery, and plantain plantation at Ogbeke-Nike.

“So, people were kidnapped and brought here, including the woman that was kidnapped near the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. This has been ongoing. But after today, this place will never exist again in the manner you met it,” he said.

The chairperson continued: “That is why we are here to send a strong signal, and we are also warning property owners not to come and tell us that they are in South Africa, China or Germany and do not know what is happening.

“Once your property or commercial entity is used for kidnapping or anything involving grievous bodily harm or threat, including attempted murder, we will come after you and your property.”

Recovery of arms, ammunition
Mr Anya said the state government recovered some arms and ammunition from the kidnappers’ hideouts.

The chairperson, for instance, said at Nkwubor Layout in Emene Nike, 17 firearms were recovered, including eight AK-47 rifles, seven pump action rifles and two shotguns.

He said two AK-47 rifles were recovered at the Ogbeke-Nike farm, pointing out that shrines, charms, and mini Indian hemp farms were also destroyed during the demolition.

‘Demolition backed by law’
Speaking to reporters, Mr Anya said a law passed by the Enugu House of Assembly in 2016 backed the demolition.

“Enugu State has an anti-kidnapping law, but beside that, the Criminal Code covers that whatever that deprives you of your liberty and leads to death is what the government cannot condone,” he stated.

The chairperson said the government would take over the demolished properties and put them to good use, pointing out that the exercise was still ongoing because more structures were already marked for demolition.

“So, all these places will be taken over by the government and we can turn it into a children’s playground, garden, park or primary healthcare centre. But whoever thought he or she owned this place before this hour will no longer touch his or her foot here forever,” he said.

Mr Anya stressed that the state government would do everything to fight kidnapping and other crimes in the state.

The demolition is coming barely 24 hours after the state government threatened to demolish buildings and other properties used to aid and abet kidnapping in the state.

The government had cited the amended Criminal Code Law of Enugu State 2017 which provides for demolition of properties used for criminal activities in the state.

Section 315 of the Criminal Code (Second Amendment) Law CAP. 30, Laws of Enugu State, posits that: “If the building or structure owned by the offender or any other person, who knows or ought to reasonably know that the building or structure is so being used for that purpose, the building or structure shall be demolished or forfeited to the state government.”

The Enugu government says it will increase the state’s electricity capacity from 70 megawatts received from the national grid to 700 megawatts through private sector investment.

Governor Peter Mbah said this in Enugu on Tuesday at an event organised by the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) to review its draft regulatory instruments.

Mr Mbah said increasing electricity capacity aligned with his administration’s vision to meet the state’s power needs and grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

He added that his government was eager to get the inputs of industry stakeholders into the state’s draft electricity regulatory framework to make the state’s electricity market viable.

Mr Mbah said the campaign promise to resuscitate pipe-borne water, improve security, education, healthcare delivery services, and others would not have been possible without a drastic improvement in electricity capacity.

The governor assured the industry players of the continued independence of EERC so that they could operate without political or administrative interference.

EERC chair Chijioke Okonkwo said, “We have given ourselves some projected targets that within the next two years, Enugu state should be consuming at least 300 megawatts and by 2030, we would have hit at least 700 megawatts.

“Right now, we are getting approximately 70 megawatts from the national grid. This is not sufficient for us to say that we want to put ourselves in the position to industrialise. We want to change that narrative. The industry players and operators want a place where they can carry out commercially viable businesses.”

Mr Okonkwo said the engagement would allow stakeholders to make inputs and enable them to agree on the regulations to support investment initiatives before finalisation, adoption, and implementation of the regulatory framework.

Siemens Energy Nigeria’s managing director, Seun Suleiman, lauded the transparency of the State Government through its regulatory agency.

The acting managing director of the Infrastructure Bank, Nkiru Chime, described Enugu as proactive “in setting out how the electricity market will play.”

Enugu State Government will in the coming days move against properties, whether private residences or business premises, used for kidnap purposes, the state government has said.

In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, on Tuesday, the government said the step was in continuation of the determined effort of the Governor Peter Mbah Administration to rid the state of all forms of crimes and criminalities.

Recall that the Enugu State House of Assembly had in November 2016 amended the Criminal Code Law of Enugu State, which was subsequently signed into Law by the former governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on 20th January 2017.

Section 315 of the Criminal Code (Second Amendment) Law Cap. 30, Laws of Enugu State, currently provides, “If the building or structure owned by the offender or any other person, who knows or ought to reasonably know that the building or structure is so being used for that purpose, the building or structure shall be demolished or forfeited to the State Government.”

Enugu citizens have therefore wondered why the government is yet to enforce it eight years after.

But responding to the citizen agitations over what they perceived as a lukewarm attitude to the law, the current administration said it was taking time to carry out due diligence to ensure that nobody suffers undue losses or miscarriage of justice.

The government warned property owners to take necessary steps to know their prospective tenants before leasing properties to them.

“Now, after due diligence, the government has compiled the properties used for kidnapping purposes in recent times and they will go down sooner than later to serve a deterrent to others.

“There is no hiding place for criminal elements in Enugu State. They either repent, leave town or meet their Waterloo. The choice is theirs”.