Category: News

Enugu State under the leadership of Dr. Peter Mbah, reduced its debt by $39.8 million, the highest by new state governors between June 2023 and June 2024, Statisense said at the weekend, citing data published by the Debt Management Office.

A post on StatiSense X handle entitled, “2023 New Governors and Their External Debt Status in One Year,” revealed that Governor Mbah reduced the state’s external debt by $39.8 million, followed by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, who reduced the state’s external debt by $6.24 million.

Other states with new governors that had a reduction in their external debt in the period under review – June 2023 to June 2024 – were Benue ($2.82 million), Delta ($1.40 million), Jigawa ($1.14 million), and Zamfara ($874,000)

However, 12 states recorded a rise in their external debt stocks under their new leaders, the data company and AI platform said.

Rivers external debt grew by $119.9 million, while those of Kaduna, Katsina, and Cross Rivers grew by $71.6 million, $62.3 million, and $57.8 million, respectively.

Ebonyi State’s external debt grew by $35.3 million, while that of Kano State grew by $22.1 million and Kebbi State recorded $16.4 million rise in external debt, according to the internal data company.

Others listed were Sokoto ($16.1 million), Taraba: ($9.54 million), Niger: ($8.87 million), Abia ($4.96 million), and Plateau ($2.35 million).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejigged his list of nominees for the South East Development Commission (SEDC) board, replacing the initial chairman, Hon. Emeka Atuma, with Dr Emeka Nworgu.

The President replaced all the three executive directors initially nominated and named two additional executive directors.

The President also removed one of the board members,  Donatus Eyinnah Nwankpa.

However, Hon. Mark C. Okoye retains his position as the Commission’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer on the 16-member board, one more member than the initial board.

The new executive director for finance is Stanley Ohajuruka, who replaced Anthony Ugbo in the first list.

Toby Okechukwu is the new executive director of projects. He replaces Obinna Obiekweihe. Chief Sylvester Okonkwo is now the executive director of corporate services, replacing Dr Daniel Ikechukwu Ugwuja.

The two nominated executive directors without a portfolio are Chidi Echeazu and Dr Clifford Ogbede.

The President retained Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Hon. Okey Ezenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Barr. Ifeanyi Agwu, Nasiru Usman and Hamma Adama Ali Kumo.

The other nominees retained are Edward David Onoja, Orure Kufre Inima and Chief (Mrs.) Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma

All the nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.

President Tinubu expects the new nominees, as pioneers, to use their wealth of experience and expertise to actualise the Commission’s mandate and develop the South East region.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

December 06, 2024

The Enugu State Police Command has successfully dismantled an interstate criminal syndicate specialised in armed robbery and financial fraud. This was achieved through coordinated operations involving the Emene Division, Crack, and Octopus Tactical Squads, alongside the Neighbourhood Watch Group, which led to the arrest of eight (8) male suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, cash, and other stolen items.

The arrested suspects include Ismaila Isah (aged 23), Sadik Ahmed (a dismissed soldier, aged 28), Abbas Usman (aged 33), Mubarak Garba (aged 24), Abubakar Haruna (aged 23), Abubakar Sani (aged 32), Obiri Chukwuebuka (aged 22), and Bright Omeniru (aged 22). Two locally made pistols loaded with a live and expended cartridge and a cash sum of three hundred thousand, four hundred and fifty Naira (₦300,450.00) were recovered. Further recovered are ten laptops, land documents, ten mobile phones, assorted jewellery and watches, one MP3 player, one headphone, four power banks, two SIM cards, footwear, and bags.

The operation commenced on November 12, 2024, around 3:30 a.m., when operatives from the Emene Division, supported by Neighbourhood Watch members, responded to a distress call regarding an armed robbery at an estate in Emene. During the operation, Ismaila Isah was apprehended with one locally made pistol, the said ₦300,450.00, and some stolen items, while others escaped.

Ismaila was later transferred to the Crack Tactical Squad for further investigation. His confessional statements and subsequent discreet investigations led to the arrest of Sadik Ahmed, Abbas Usman, Mubarak Garba, Abubakar Haruna, and Abubakar Sani at their hideouts in New Garriki, Awkunanaw, Enugu. Another locally made pistol and additional stolen items were recovered.

Furthermore, operatives from the Octopus Tactical Squad utilised an intelligence report and arrested Obiri Chukwuebuka and Bright Omeniru in Owerri, Imo State. During interrogation, they admitted to using phones stolen by the syndicate to fraudulently withdraw funds from victims bank accounts. Two SIM cards from different networks were also recovered.

Investigations reveal that the suspects confessed to committing multiple armed robberies within the Enugu metropolis and using the victims’ mobile phones’ SIM cards to also commit acts of fraud. They further confessed to moving and selling the stolen proceeds in Imo and other States. Sadik Ahmed, the dismissed soldier, admitted to exploiting his background as a former security agent to bypass checkpoints during the interstate shipment of the stolen items.

The suspects will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, psc (+), has commended the operatives for the operational breakthroughs. He urges them to sustain the momentum against criminal activities, especially during the festive season.

DSP DANIEL NDUKWE, anipr, mnisma
Police Public Relations Officer,
State Headquarters,
GRA, Enugu.
December 7, 2024.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has assured investors as well as members of the public of the administration’s business-friendly land administration, highlighting the importance of the anti-land-grabbing law, also known as the Enugu State Property Protection Law, in promoting transparency and accountability in the state’s land management system.

Speaking at the investiture ceremony of the 26th National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Tpl. Dr. Chime Ogbonna, in Enugu at the weekend, Governor Mbah highlighted the key benefits of the law, which aims to prevent land grabbing and promote sustainable urban development in the state.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr Chimaobi Okorie, also commended the NITP for its efforts in promoting best practices in town planning and urban development in Nigeria.

While congratulating the new national president of NITP, Governor Mbah further highlighted some of the critical reforms embarked by the administration in order to create an eco-friendly land administration system for investors and members of the public who are desirous of investing in the state.

The reforms which aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainability in land management and urban development saw the signing into law, the Enugu State Geographic Information System Law, the New Enugu City Development Law, the Enugu State Ranch Management Law and the Enugu State Property Protection Law, stressing that they were already winning investors’ confidence in the state.

He called on investors, both home and in diaspora to see Enugu as the right destination to invest with guaranteed high returns-on-investment, saying the administration was committed to addressing identified challenges facing investment in the country.

“We are working day and night to make our state the most eco-friendly state in terms of investment opportunities. We have derisked investment flow through our flexible land administration policies. We have invested optimally in our security architecture and we have started reaping the fruits. Today, Enugu State is the most secure and peaceful state in the country. It’s a deliberate effort undertaken by our administration because we intend to make Enugu the premier destination for investment and business,” he added.

The event, which was attended by dignitaries from the building sector, political class, government officials, business moguls, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders, marked a significant milestone in the development of the state’s urban planning and development sector.

On his part, Dr. Ogbonna, in his inaugural speech, thanked Governor Mbah for his support and pledged to work closely with the state government to promote sustainable urban development and best practices in town planning in Enugu State.

…Says it’s Rivers turn to produce next Ohanaeze PG

The meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide was held on December 4, 2024 at its National Secretariat, No 7 Park Avenue, GRA, Enugu.

The meeting which was presided by Ambassador Okey Emuchay, MFR was well attended by almost all the members.

The meeting commenced with one minute silence in honour of eminent Igbo personages who passed on recently. They include Chief Dr. Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR, OFR, CFR; His Excellency, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, CON; Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah and Onyeka Onwenu, MFR.

Members expressed immense satisfaction on the administrative capacity of the Secretary General, Ambassador Okey Emuchay MFR with a vote of confidence moved by Chief Chukwuemeka Udodeme, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Anambra State. In seconding the motion, the Vice President General for Delta State, Chief Emeka Festus Ogwu, commended Ambassador Emuchay and the members of the National Burial Committee led by Sen. Ben Obi on the successful funeral programmes for Chief Iwuanyanwu.

Others expressed delight over the cooperation and kind gestures displayed by the South East Governors Forum, led by His Excellency, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, CON, the Governor of Imo State.

The NEC reaffirmed their commitment to the provisions of the Ohanaeze constitution; to the effect that it is the turn of Rivers State to produce the next president- general for Ohanaeze Ndigbo come January 2025.

It was therefore resolved that Ambassador Emuchay in consultation with the South East Governors, Igbo Senators, traditional rulers, town unions, the Clergy, stake holders, and the Ohanaeze structures should convene a meeting of Imeobi Ohanaeze as soon as possible to set up an electoral umpire for the purpose of the 2025 Ohanaeze election.

Ambassador Emuchay thanked the Igbo for their unwavering support and appealed for understanding, assuring that the January 2025 election will be a huge success.

Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia
National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide

Ebonyi State Government says it has complied fully with the New Minimum Wage act .

The Governor was reacting to the strike embarked upon by some workers in the State .

According to Dr. Monday Uzor, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nwifuru who made this known while addressing Journalists in his office, wondered why some Labour leaders misinformed the workers to embark on strike even when Government has commenced full implementation of the New Minimum wage

He described the action as unnecessary and a deliberate attempt to embarrass the government.

“As a government we are to obey the law. We must respect the provisions of the constitution.

“And the law says the minimum wage must be 70,000.

“I have exceeded the nationally agreed #70,000 with additional #5000.

“I have not had issues with the Labour and before becoming the Governor, I knew some realities in the light of the economic uncertainties we are faced.

“This is the reason I added 20,000 wage allowances, and bought vehicles for the Labour.

“To assist the workforce, we provided CNG buses to convey the workers to their offices and back at no cost.

“The law passed by the National Assembly is Minimum Wage, not salary increments.

“Cognisant of the current situation, I increased the minimum wage to 75,000.

“I am surprised they are part of the strike.”

The Governor said apart from full implementation of the new minimum wage, his administration has been consistent in improving the welfare of workers.

“As I speak, we are not owing pension and gratuities.

“I am shocked that our state joined the strike”.

The Governor urged workers to return to work warning that only those available at their duty posts will receive salaries.

The Organised Labour in Enugu State has refuted the media reports that the new minimum wage was yet to be paid in the state, saying that the implementation of the N80,000 minimum wage, which is above the N70,000 national minimum wage, commenced in November 2024, according to a government issued statement.

The workers also said that they had no plan to go on strike since. They said that observed discrepancies in consequential adjustment in the implementation of the N80,000 minimum wage had already been conveyed to Governor Peter Mbah and nursed no doubts that it would be addressed subsequently, as he had already earned workers’ trust by his commitment to their welfare since his assumption of office.

This was made known in a joint statement in the state capital on Tuesday by the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Enugu State Council, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo; Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Ben Asogwa; and the Chairman of the state’s Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JNC, Comrade Ezekiel Omeh.

The statement read, “The Orgaised Labour in Enugu State wishes to make clarifications in several media reports, which wrongly project Enugu among the states that are yet to pay the national minimum wage.

“We want to acknowledge the fact that the Enugu State Government paid the N80,000 minimum wage approved by the governor in the November 2024 salary.

“However, the minimum wage paid did not reflect the consequential adjustments inherent in minimum wage implementation.

“As labour leaders, we have already communicated to His Excellency the observed discrepancies and in his usual magnanimity to the welfare of workers, we strongly believe that he will address this subsequently.

“Our confidence in the governor remains intact, considering his usual dispositions to the wellbeing of workers.

“It is worthy of note that he continued to pay wage award of N25,000 he approved for workers from December 2023 till October 2024 when the new minimum wage of N80,000 was approved and consequently reflected in the November salary.

“We also recall his good faith in ensuring that local government employees were included from the onset in the new minimum wage of N80,000, having earlier upgraded them to full N30,000 minimum wage upon assumption of office after several years of waiting.

“Likewise, he approved the payment of the N1.9bn four-year accumulated leave allowances owed to teachers of public primary schools in the state and eight-month salary arrears valued at over N467m, which were also owed the academic, non-academic, and casual staff of the Enugu State College of Education Technical, ESCET, Enugu, before his assumption of office.

“Consequently, in the same culture, we trust him to address all the concerns regarding consequential adjustments in the implementation of N80,000 minimum wage.

“So, we have not gone on strike. We do not also contemplate or foresee any strike in the near future because there is no need for that yet.”

The Enugu State Government and WANDE NEXUS, an Austrian firm, have formalised an agreement to implement the Sustainable Last Mile Connectivity and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project in Enugu.

With the signing, which took place on Monday at Government House, Enugu, in the presence of the Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Thomas Schlesinger, WANDE Nexus is to inject $100 million as Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, to modernise water infrastructure, improve service delivery, and ensure equitable access to clean water for all households in Enugu City.

Speaking, Governor Peter Mbah described the signing as an example of the relationship that could exist between a sub-sovereign and a sovereign, and a major step to getting water to the last mile in Enugu City.

“We now have an investment of $100 million to deal decisively with the last mile connection, the downstream part of our water system. This huge sum shows that the economic reforms of the Federal Government and our effort to position Enugu as the premier destination for investment are yielding results because this is a major FDI, not just for us as a state, but even as a country.

“For the record, this is not a case where we are just signing an agreement that is exploratory. This is an agreement we signed today for the funds to begin to flow. This is a discussion that started eight months ago. From signing an MoU, to Terms Sheet, to getting a Concession Agreement, today we are signing the final agreement and we expect that the investment funds will start to flow immediately, as they should have started with the connectivity to the last mile, and the procurement of the metres will commence,” he said.

The governor explained that while the administration had been able to increase water production from an occasional 2 million litres to 120 million litres, the biggest challenge was in expanding the network and connecting the tertiary pipelines to the various homes. He, however, noted that with the signing of the FDI agreement, the problem would become a thing of the past.

“This is purely an investment of $100m being injected in our downstream water sector and we have the responsibility, as a state government, to continue to manage the upstream sector. If you look at our budget for 2025, there is fund slated for water, and that is essentially to increasse our water production capacity. The volume will grow from 120 million litres of water per day to 200 million litres per day.

In his address, Ambassador Schlesinger said the investment had the strong backing of the Austrian Government, and commended Governor Mbah for building the necessary international relationships and showing a strong commitment to making life better for his people.

“I wish to laud His Excellency Dr. Peter Mbah for his vision to transform the water management systems for Enugu City, with its ultimate goal to ensuring equitable access to clean water.

“Governor Mbah is a great friend of Austria. He has visited Vienna twice, where he met with ministers, international organisations and the business community; and he is a very active supporter of Austrian companies in Enugu.

“This investment in the amount of $100 million is, therefore, a testimony of his excellent work and his vision for Enugu State,” he said.

He equally expressed strong confidence in the capacity of the Chairman of WANDE Nexus Group, Dr. Ugochukwu Ugbor, to lead the transformation of the downstream water sector.

“In order to implement such a plan as the governor has, you need strong leadership at the top of the project, represented by Dr. Ugochukwu Ugbor, the Chairman of WANDE NEXUS. He spent more than 20 years in Austria, where he played key roles in international organisations, addressing critical infrastructure and sustainability challenges, as enshrined in another Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations,” he stated.

Earlier in his address, Dr. Ugbor said that he and the rest of Austrian investors were encouraged into the venture by the speedily improving ease of doing business, conducive investment environment, and trustworthiness exhibited by the Mbah administration, adding that the company would deliver on expectations, create 500 direct jobs for a start, build human capital in modern water management, and also directly improve health and economic opportunities in Enugu State.