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Tag: Enugu State

  • Mbah focused, doing very well, says Tinubu in Enugu

    Mbah focused, doing very well, says Tinubu in Enugu

    President Bola Tinubu has extolled Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his leadership and commitment to development, describing him as a “focused and result-oriented leader”.

    Tinubu made the commendation during his first official visit to Enugu on Saturday where he inaugurated several projects.

    He said that Mbah was doing a fantastic job and he was glad that Enugu was making great strides.

    “I salute Peter Mbah for his commitment to development. You’ve built a solid team, and I’ve reviewed a number of things with you in Abuja.

    “You’ve impressed me with the technological advancements in the state and the support you’ve garnered from the private sector. I know your background, he said.

    Tinubu called for unity across political divides, urging leaders to focus on the nation’s progress.

    “The election is over, and we have to move the nation forward. You’ve shown an unshakable commitment to human development. I don’t care which party you belong to; you’re my friend.

    “You’re doing well and staying focused. Together, we must build this house called Nigeria, not just for today, but for tomorrow too,” he said.

    The president also addressed his administration’s controversial removal of fuel subsidies, stating that it was important for the nation’s future.

    “That’s why the removal of the fuel subsidy was necessary. We can’t spend the future of generations yet unborn in advance. Let’s not bankrupt the nation before they’re even born,” he said.

    The president commended Mbah’s focus on security and investment in safety measures, particularly the establishment of the Distress Response Squad.

    “I’m proud of Nigeria, and Mbah is proud of Nigeria. He’s doing everything possible to provide security and attract investors locally and internationally.

    “There’s no better investment than securing lives. I saw those cars for the Distress Response Squad, it’s the right move,” he noted.

    He encouraged the people of Enugu to support Mbah in his development efforts.

    “Please continue to work with your son, brother, and friend, Peter Mbah. He’s truly committed to driving Enugu forward and being a positive symbol for the southeast,” he advised.

    The president earlier inaugurated some projects physically and virtually built by Gov Mbah including 30 Smart Green Schools,  International Conference Center, 19 kilometer urban roads and 150 Distress Response vehicles.

  • Just In: President Tinubu arrives Enugu on official visit (photos)

    Just In: President Tinubu arrives Enugu on official visit (photos)

    President Bola Tinubu on Saturday, January 4th arrived at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, at approximately 1:22 pm today for an official state visit.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah alongside top government officials and dignitaries,

    Warmly welcomed the President, who arrived aboard the Nigeria Air Force Airbus A330 

    The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, Anambra State’s Deputy Governor, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.

    Other notable figures included former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, Minister of Works Dave Umahi, and business tycoon Arthur Eze.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, in a statement available to newsmen disclosed that President Tinubu will be commissioning several projects during his one-day visit.

    These include the newly completed Enugu International Conference Center, a signature achievement of Governor Mbah’s administration.

    Additionally, Tinubu will inaugurate 30 completed and fully equipped Enugu Smart Green Schools out of a planned 260 currently under construction across the state’s wards.

    He will also unveil 60 completed and operational Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres, part of an ongoing project to construct 260 such centres statewide.

    Other projects on the President’s itinerary include commissioning the state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre, 90 urban roads in Enugu City, and 150 patrol vehicles equipped with AI-enabled surveillance technology.

    Rural road projects completed under Governor Mbah’s administration will also be inaugurated during the visit.

  • Gov Mbah frees 7 inmates, pardons one on parole

    Gov Mbah frees 7 inmates, pardons one on parole

    Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has granted various forms of prerogative of mercy to eight inmates of the Correctional Centres in the state on parole.

    This is contained in a statement released by the Governor’s Media Aide, Mr Uche Anichukwu, on Wednesday in Enugu.

    Anichukwu said the decision was communicated to the Comptroller, Nigerian Correctional Service, Enugu State Command, Mr. Nicholas Obiako, in a letter dated Dec. 31, 2024.

    He said that the letter was signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Victor Udeh.

    According to him, Mbah had exercised his power of Prerogative of Mercy under Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

    He added that in consultation with the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, Enugu State, granted various forms of Prerogative of Mercy to the following convicts in the Correctional Centres in Enugu State.

    “A breakdown of the reprieves shows that Mbah approved the release, subject to a one-year parole, of eight inmates who have spent substantial parts of their jail terms for various offences.

    “One offender was granted pardon subject also to a one-year parole, having spent part of his five-year jail term for contempt of court and equally purged himself of the contempt,” Anichukwu said.

    He added that the decision was also subject to reports of proven reform in character, ability to reintegrate with the society having possessed or learnt some productive skills.

    He said that it also followed the recommendation by the Correctional Services and the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

  • Gov Mbah Signs 2025 budget of N971bn into law

    Gov Mbah Signs 2025 budget of N971bn into law

    Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Tuesday, signed into law the N971 billion appropriation bill for the 2025 fiscal year.

    The event took place at the Government House with the members of the State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Mr Uchenna Ugwu, and some top government functionaries in attendance.

    The budget comprises N837.9 billion Capital Expenditure, representing 86 per cent of the budget, and a Recurrent Expenditure component of N133 billion, representing 14 per cent of the budget.

    The education sector got N320.6 billion representing 33 per cent and largest share of the total budget for the second consecutive year.

    Signing the budget, Mbah thanked the lawmakers for the speedy passage of the budget, describing it as a “massive Christmas gift” to the people of the state.

    “What we are witnessing here today is democracy in action. We christened our budget, “Budget of Exponential Growth and Inclusive Prosperity”, because it is at the heart of everything we do in the state.

    “If you look at the development model adopted, it is one that takes into account the development challenges we have across our state and we have the responsibility to make sure that nobody or section of the state is left out.

    “In terms of growth, we recognised very early that incremental growth model will not cut it for us. The rest of the world will not wait for us and development is not something that you wish into existence. You must be very intentional about it.

    “So, our growth strategy is the one that adopts an exponential growth model,” Mbah said.

    He assured the people of the state, that by January 1, 2025, they would march towards Enugu’s greatness and development.

    In his remark, the speaker, Mr Ugwu,  attributed the sustenance and early passage of the budget to the involvement of the parliament in the budget preparation.

    “We were part of the process that produced those figures in the first place because we were carried along.

    “We did not have to change anything because behind closed-doors, we had done the job already before the budget was presented.

    “So, there is no point changing anything. The assurance to Enugu people is that we shall continue to have it good,” he stated.

    He commended Mbah for the high performance of the 2024 budget, and pledged that that the house would effectively exercise its oversight powers in its implementation.

  • Firefighters quench inferno in Enugu timber market

    Firefighters quench inferno in Enugu timber market

    The officers and men of the Enugu State and the Federal Fire Services on Saturday extinguished inferno at a section of the Modern Timber Market in the state capital.

    The fire, which cause has not been ascertained, started at about 6p.m. on Saturday. The Director of the Enugu State Fire Service, Mr Okwudiri Ohaa, who is also the state’s Chief Fire Officer, told NAN that there was no loss of life in the incident.

    He said that it took the quick intervention of the state fire station in the market to start battling the fire while calling for assistance from the federal fire service headquarters.

    “Four other fire trucks and a water tanker as well as assist from officers and men of the Federal Fire Service worked to put the inferno under control.

    “Before arriving, due to the way stalls are built in the market; a stretch of a line in the market had been badly affected by the inferno.

    “We were able to extinguish it and we are also on ground now to ensure that no remnant of the fire will resurface. We sincerely thank the Federal Fire Service for assisting us put off the fire and forestall further damage,” he said.

    Due to numerous fire incidences in the market, the state government established a fire service station in the market.

  • Two armed robbery suspects nabbed with firearms in Enugu

    Two armed robbery suspects nabbed with firearms in Enugu

    Two male armed robbery suspects have been arrested by the Enugu State Police Command in collaboration with the neighbourhood watch group of the area.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed in a statement that five firearms, two live cartridges, a snatched tricycle, and other incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.

    One of the suspects, according to Ndukwe, is Daniel Aniude, 29, of 27, Isiekenise Street, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu.

    Ndukwe said Aniude’s arrest was effected by police operatives from the Abakpa Division in collaboration with the neighbourhood watch group of the area.

    Ndukwe said, “The suspect and his accomplices, who fled, were intercepted in the act of robbing a female victim.”

    The PPRO said one imitation pistol was recovered during the operation, adding that, “Following the conclusion of investigations by the Anti-Robbery (D9) Section of the State CID, Aniude was arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Service.”

    In another development, one Uzor David, 25, from Isu community in Aniocha LGA of Ebonyi State, was arrested on November 12 around 2pm by operatives from the Nkanu East Division supported by neighbourhood watch members and vigilant citizens.

    Ndukwe wrote, “The suspect had earlier chartered a tricycle from Holy Ghost, Enugu, to Nara in Nkanu East LGA. Upon arrival, he used a locally-made pistol to shoot the tricyclist in the hand, snatched, and attempted to escape with the tricycle.

    “However, security operatives swiftly intervened, arresting the suspect and recovering the tricycle and firearm. The injured victim is receiving treatment and is in stable condition.”

  • Gunmen abduct Catholic priest in Enugu

    Gunmen abduct Catholic priest in Enugu

    A group of unknown gunmen have kidnapped a yet-to-identified Catholic priest along the Opi-Ugwuogo expressway in Enugu State.

    TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) learnt that the incident occurred on Saturday evening, November 30th.

    According to reports, the kidnappers disguised as police operatives and operated at a checkpoint before whisking the priest away.

    A viral video of the incident showed that the gunmen escaped with the priest when the escorts of the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai, arrived at the scene.

    According to an eye witness, the kidnappers also shot at a windscreen of a hilux, although the occupants were not kidnapped following the arrival of the deputy governor’s convoy.

    The deputy governor was returning from the burial of a brother to former Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mbah, a Deputy Inspector General of Police.

    “It was someone inside the hilux that shouted that the people we thought were policemen were actually kidnappers,” said a source.

    “They were firing at the convoy as they were running into the bush. But already they had carried the priest inside.”

    The passenger in the hilux was heard saying that the bullet nearly hit his head.

  • Banker, 2 others arrested for forging bank details

    Banker, 2 others arrested for forging bank details

    The police command in Enugu State has arrested three suspects, including a banker, for allegedly stealing 4 million from a bank customer by forging his account details.

    The command Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, told journalists on Friday in Enugu, that the suspects allegedly forged the bank identity of an Australia-based Nigerian to steal N4 million from his account.

    Ndukwe said that the suspects, names withheld, included a staff of an Enugu branch of a commercial bank.

    He said that the suspects withdrew over N4 million from the victim’s bank account through fraudulent means.

    He said that the suspects were arrested when the management of the bank found the fraud and promptly reported to the police.

    According to Ndukwe, the first suspect, who was arrested, allegedly confessed that he found a bag in October, 2023, at Nowas Junction in Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, which contained personal items, including several SIM cards.

    The suspect told the police that in January 2024, he inserted one of the SIM cards into his phone and received a large credit alert.

    According to the police, the suspect began to withdraw money from the victim’s account using the USSD banking code.

    Ndukwe said in September 2024, the suspect faced difficulties accessing the account and he visited the commercial bank branch in Enugu.

    “There, he colluded with an employee of the bank with 17 years of service, who informed him that the account was on: Post No Debit Status.

    “The bank employee ask the first suspect to obtain a court affidavit and modify his National Identification Number (NIN) details to match those of the account’s legitimate owner to gain access to the account,” he said.

    Ndukwe said the first suspect approached an NIN enrolment agent, who unlawfully changed the suspect name, date of birth, and other personal details on his NIN to match those of the victim’s details without questioning his intentions.

    The police spokesman said the first suspect gave the agent N40,000 for the services.

    “With this altered information, the first suspect facilitated the fraudulent reactivation of the victim’s account, bypassing verification checks, including the Bank Verification Number (BVN) link.

    “After reactivating the account, the first suspect immediately withdrew N100,000 and gave the bank staff N50,000 as a payment for his role.

    “He later withdrew an additional N1.5 million, which triggered an alert from the bank’s Ohafia, Abia State branch, where the account was originally opened.

    “This led to the detection of the fraud and the bank management in Enugu reported the case to the police,” Ndukwe said.

    Ndukwe said that when the first suspect reported for another withdrawal on Oct.18, he was arrested, along with the bank staff while NIN agent was later arrested.

    Reacting, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, appreciated the bank for its cooperation in exposing the fraudulent act.

    Uzuegbu also urged the public to exercise caution in managing personal sensitive items to prevent falling victim to similar crimes.

  • Gov Mbah presents Enugu’s 2025 budget

    Gov Mbah presents Enugu’s 2025 budget

    Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has presented 2025 budget of N971.84 billion to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval.

    Mbah presented the budget tagged, “Exponential Growth and Inclusive Prosperity” on Tuesday at the Legislative complex in Enugu.

    He said that his administration sought to lay a right foundation to enhance economy growth of the state.

    Mbah said that the 2025 budget estimate was over N450 billion higher than 2024 budget of N521.5 billion, representing 86.4 per cent increase.

    He pointed out that the budget was in line with his administration’s vision to grow the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, which he noted was achievable.

    Giving the breakdown of the budget, the governor revealed that N133.1 billion of the budget would go into recurrent expenditures while N837.9 billion would be spent on capital expenditures.

    On the sectorial budget, he said that N320.6 billion of the budget would go into education; N260 billion to Works and Infrastructure;N82 billion to Agriculture; N45 billion to Health while Sports sector would get N13 billion.

    He said that the capital budget would be channeled to the completion of 260 smart schools, ultra-modern hospitals,first phase of New Enugu City, dualisation of Abakpa-Opi Nsukka road, and upgrade of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

    According to Mbah, the four bus terminals at the Holy Ghost, Abakpa, Garriki and Nsukka would be commissioned on Dec. 22, while the state-owned airline, Enugu Air, would be launched in few weeks from now.

    On the review on the 2024 budget, the governor disclosed that as of October, the current budget had achieved 88.6 per cent, which he said was a big achievement to his administration.

    He added that the state generated N107bn internal revenue, which he maintained was expected to grow to over N500 billion and gave the assurance that no part of the state would be left out.

    Receiving the budget, the Speaker of the House, Chief Uche Ugwu said that the House would start the process of passing the appropriation bill in record time.

    Ugwu urged heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to come for their budget defence for more clarity on their budget estimates.

  • Enugu State to host 2026 National Sports Festival

    Enugu State to host 2026 National Sports Festival

    The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced Enugu State as the host of the 23rd edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF) in 2026.

    NSC Director-General, Bukola Olopade disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. He said the decision was reached after a top management meeting of the NSC.

    According to him, the coal city emerged top from a competitive bidding process and the state is set to deliver a world-class event.

    The NSF, a biennial multi-sports event, brings together thousands of athletes from the 36 States and the FCT to celebrate sportsmanship, national unity and sporting excellence.

    Meanwhile, before Enugu State takes centre stage, the 22nd edition of the festival is set to hold in January, 2025 in Ogun, with the Gateway State set to deliver a world-class event.

    Olopade, the former chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Ogun 2025 NSF revealed that the Games will host over 15,000 athletes.

    He reaffirmed the NSC’s commitment to supporting Ogun  in delivering a premium tournament.

    Olopade said that early selection of Enugu State for the 23rd edition of the Games was in line with international best practices.

    “With Enugu’s selection for the 23rd edition, the festival promises to uphold its legacy of excellence, inclusivity, and showcasing the best of Nigerian sports talent.

    “This marks the first time the South-Eastern State will be staging the event since its inception in 1973,” he said.

    He noted that the early announcement of Enugu would  give the state enough time to prepare adequately for the Games and also enhance the corporate image of the Festival.

    The 21st edition of the Games was hosted by Asaba, Delta, with over 11,000 athletes participating in the tournament.