Category: News

The European Union (EU) and the Enugu State Government have committed to exploring potential partnership areas across the power and infrastructure sectors to drive economic growth and development in the state.

This was disclosed by the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, Tuesday, when he paid a working visit to the governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, at Government House, Enugu.

Mr. De Luca, who underscored the strategic place of Enugu State to the EU, added that the state had since emerged as a key partner in several areas, particularly in the power sector where projects, such as solar-to-health, small hydro-power generation that will provide uninterrupted power supply for industrial clusters were being initiated.

“A specific focus, which has emerged over the last couple of years is the renewable energy, and Enugu is one of the selected number of states that are partnering with us on a number of renewable energy initiatives. One of them is solar-to-health.

“We are working for the electrification of primary health centres in the state, and the model we are adopting is one that will ensure sustainability,” he added.

While sharing their blueprint for the development of infrastructure, the EU chief lamented that some of their projects in the past had been allowed to waste due to poor maintenance culture and lack of interest in most of the places they were initiated.

He, however, underscored the importance of engaging local authorities in the area of security in order to ensure that initiated projects penetrate those at the rural and grassroots.

“This time, we are involving the local authorities fully in the primary health sector, and even the private sector, so that infrastructure, which we will deploy in partnership with the state authority, will be taken over by a management structure that ensures a long-term sustainability of the infrastructure. That also means that the solar installations that we are building should not only serve the health centres, but also the eco-system,” he said.

He expressed hopes that the partnership would yield projects that will serve as opportunity for primary healthcare system to become efficient, sustainable and also provide better services to the citizens.

“We are also looking at different types of renewable energy operations, and more of them to be connected to agriculture. It is a small hydro which is a technology where European Union is particularly advanced, and can be deployed without upsetting the environment; and that can contribute to the electrification of the area with its own hydro-generation plants,” De Luca further stated.

On his part, Governor Peter Mbah indicated the state’s strong interest in forging development partnership with the EU, stressing that some of its initiatives aligned with the administration’s aims, objectives and vision of not only developing the state exponentially but also taking deliberate steps in eradicating poverty.

“Our vision is to eradicate poverty – to achieve a zero percent rate in our poverty headcount. We have in pursuit of that objective, invested hugely in our social sector; building 260 smart schools, 260 Type-2 primary healthcare centres.

“We can see a major alignment when you talk of investment because beyond eradicating poverty in our state, we have the vision to grow our economy exponentially, and we see that coming from outside investment – private sector investments from multi-lateral and bi-lateral relationships.

“Given our private sector backgrounds, we know how we can structure investment in a manner that is a win – win for all parties; whether with the private sector or the EU investments.

“We are also interested in other areas that you have mentioned. Grassroots for us is particularly of interest because we believe that we cannot grow at the expense of our downtrodden; those ones in the rural areas.

“If you look at our budget tagline, you will get things like exponential growth and inclusive prosperity. This means that you have to grow even the weakest among us. So, we are investing hugely in basic amenities, expanding economic opportunities to those in the rural areas,” he said.

Mbah, who further called for the strengthening of the existing relationship to expand new areas of interests in the renewable energy source that will include solar-for-health and solar-for-education that will power the smart screens, ICT centres, robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories in the smart green schools across the 260 electoral wards in the state.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has charged members of the enlarged Abia State Executive Council to approach their assignments and governance with sense of urgency.

Governor Otti gave the charge while declaring open a two – day retreat organized by the State Government for members of the enlarged Abia State Executive Council held at International Conference Centre, Umuahia with the theme, “Sustaining Momentum: Accelerating Execution”.

The Governor, who titled his speech, “Eyes On The Ball”, said that the retreat which is the First Executive Council Retreat for 2025 is designed as a leadership exposition, interactive session, and agenda-setting forum aimed at identifying operational bottlenecks and proffering solutions to ensure effective governance in the State.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to raising governance standards far beyond those of past administrations and emphasized that every sector of Abia’s economic and social service ecosystem is crucial to the State’s ’s development, adding that there is high expectation of the people on the government.

Governor Otti stressed the need for them to develop a robust and sustainable execution template that will drive the attainment of Abia State’s strategic governance targets for the current fiscal year.

“This administration is not going to be judged by the mediocre standards of the past administration because we were elected to raise the bar and raise it very very high.

“What we need to do in the course of this retreat is to see where and how our approach to the execution has deviated from the trajectory we seek to travel.

“The agenda for us all in this exercise shall be to collectively develop a robust execution template that will drive the attainment of our strategic governance target for the current fiscal year.

“This retreat has been set up to underline how we shall run as a government in the new year. 2025 will be a crucial year for the State. So, we are required to exceed whatever we achieved in the past,” Gov. stated.

He encouraged participants to use the retreat as an opportunity to assess deviations from the set trajectory and realign strategies for improved execution and called for open and constructive engagement among attendees.

Speaking earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, who disclosed that the theme of the retreat is “Sustaining Momentum: Accelerating Execution”, said that the administration of Governor Alex Otti has gathered momentum in several areas of infrastructural development, health, education and other sectors, and stressed that the retreat is aimed at sustaining the momentum.

He said that the retreat is an opportunity for the participants to reflect and map out strategies to move towards achieving the goals of the present administration and urged them not to be satisfied at the level they find themselves at present.

In his paper presentation titled, “Enhancing Public Service Through Efficiency, Accountability, Transparency and Impactful Reforms”, a former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye regretted some challenges in the service to include lack of capacity, accountability and transparency and recommended capacity building, conducive work environment, and contract appointments to fill the gaps in the service

Mr. Orosanye stressed the need for staff auditing, identifying the competence gap, determining the size of workforce needed and embarking on training and retraining to have an impactful reforms. He said that there should be collaboration between the Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Head of Service, adding that the friction between the public and civil servants could be minimised by acknowledging that they are working to achieve a goal.

In their reactions, some participants including the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Sir Chris Onwuegbu and his Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning counterpart, Lady Ugonma Jimonu said that the retreat is to ensure that top government officials in the State are brought to the same page as they strive to build a new Abia as envisioned by Governor Alex Otti.

They said that the retreat would reduce conflict between political appointees and the bureaucrats, adding that they would be going back home with better understanding on the ways of implementing the polices and programmes of the government for 2025.

A Federal High Court, sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, presided over by Justice Rosemary Oghogho-rie has convicted and sentenced Dr. Geraldine Orok Ita to prison for fraud.

Ita was prosecuted by the Uyo Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on a twelve-count charge, bordering on forgery and diversion of fund to the tune of N127,686,594,l.87 (One Hundred and Twenty-seven  Million, Six Hundred  and Eighty-six Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-four Naira, Eighty-seven Kobo).

One of the charges reads: “That you, Dr Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F’ on or about the 6th day of November, 2014, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a forged document to wit: FORM CAC 10 (ANNUAL RETURN FOR A SMALL COMPANY) IN RESPECT OF SHARPNET CONCEPT LIMITED DATED 06/1 1/2014, purported to have been signed by Mrs. Rose Orok Ita (a Director in Sharpnet Concept Limited), with the intent that the document may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M 17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation of Nigeria) and Punishable under Section 1 (2) (c) of the same Act.”

Another reads: “That you, Dr Geraldine Orok Ita ‘F’ on or about 14/02/2019, in Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did take possession of the sum of Forty-Five Million Naira (#45,000,000) through Bank Account No: 2027011283 domiciled in First Bank with Account Name: Rok Projects Limited, paid by the University of Calabar (UNICAL) for the project executed by ROK PROJECTS LIMITED/SHARPNET CONCEPT LIMITED, when you reasonably ought to know that the money was part of the proceeds of crime to wit: forgery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (3) of the same Act.”

She pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, prompting her trial that commenced in 2019. In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin called witnesses and presented incontrovertible evidence.

Convinced that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, Justice Oghogho-rie convicted and sentenced Ita to seven years imprisonment.

Ita’s journey to Nigeria Correctional Centre commenced when the Commission received a petition in 2019 from Sharpnet Concept Limited and ROK Project Limited initiated by two of its directors alleging that Geraldine Orok Ita forged and fraudulently altered  the documents of the companies in favour of herself by removing the two initial directors from the companies’ records and claiming to be the second wife of Engr. Orok Okonkon Ita who died in 2004.

The petitioners further stated that besides carrying out the fraudulent alterations, the convict appointed a new company Secretary on November 6, 2014 and changed the registered address of the companies at No. 25, Uyo Street, off Market Road, Port Harcourt, River State and made re-allotments and return of allotments of shares.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced significant leadership changes at several federal universities, including the University of Abuja, now known as Yakubu Gowon University.

These changes are effective immediately.

At Yakubu Gowon University, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council and relieved Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi of her duties as Vice-Chancellor.

Senator Lanre Tejuoso, currently Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been appointed Pro-Chancellor of the Yakubu Gowon University. He will be succeeded in Makurdi by Senator Joy Emordi, now pro-chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.

To succeed Maikudi, President Tinubu appointed Professor Lar Patricia Manko as Acting Vice Chancellor at the Yakubu Gowon University for a six-month term.

She will not be eligible to apply for the substantive Vice Chancellor position when it becomes available.

In addition, President Tinubu has removed Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu from his position as Acting Vice-Chancellor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), before his tenure ends on February 14.

Professor Oguejiofo T. Ujam has been appointed as his successor for six months and will not be eligible to apply for the permanent position.

The leadership changes at UNN extend to the role of Pro-Chancellor, with Gen. Ike Nwachukwu reassigned to Pro-Chancellor at the University of Uyo.

President Tinubu appointed Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo as the new Pro-Chancellor of UNN. Previously, Ojo held the same position at the Federal University of Lokoja and the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti.

Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdullahi, currently the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, has been appointed to succeed Ojo at the Federal University of Lokoja.

Senator Sani Stores is the new Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, succeeding Senator Joy Emordi. Senator Stores is a Council Member at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Additionally, Barrister Olugbenga Kukoyi, a current Council Member at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has been appointed the new Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State.

All appointments and reassignment decisions are effective immediately.

President Tinubu emphasised that these changes reflect his administration’s commitment to revitalising Nigeria’s higher education system through dynamic leadership and accountability.

The restructuring aims to strengthen governance and academic excellence within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
February 3, 2025