TheNewsGuru

Tag: Enugu State

  • Enugu reschedules local government election

    Enugu reschedules local government election

    The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) says the Local Government Elections have been rescheduled for September 21, the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Christian Ngwu, has said. Ngwu disclosed the new date for the Chairmanship and Councillorship polls in an interview in Enugu on Thursday.

    Recall ENSIEC had earlier fixed October 5 for the council elections. Ngwu said that the commission was acting in compliance with a State High Court judgement, delivered by Justice C.V.C. Ezeugwu on August 27. The court compelled the commission to conduct council elections on/or before September 21.

    The ENSIEC chairman said that the commission amended the activities and timetable for the polls after engaging electoral stakeholder in the wake of the court judgment.

  • BREAKING! Tribunal fires Enugu federal lawmaker

    BREAKING! Tribunal fires Enugu federal lawmaker

    The bye-election petition tribunal has nullified the election of Eng. Simon Atigwe, the House of Representatives member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency of Enugu State.

    The tribunal declared Hon Dennis Agbo, the candidate of the Labour Party, the rightful winner of the rerun election held on February 3rd, 2024.

    This decision comes after Agbo initially won the seat during the 2023 general election, only to have his victory annulled by the Court of Appeal, which ordered a rerun in ten polling units.

    The petition that led to Agbo’s initial sack was filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who argued that the result sheets from the affected units did not include the scores of the APC.

    Agbo led the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate by over 10,000 votes before the court ordered the rerun.

  • Police open up on alleged kidnapping of 11 travellers in Enugu

    Police open up on alleged kidnapping of 11 travellers in Enugu

    The Police Command in Enugu State has denounced media report alleging that 11 people were kidnapped at the Amechi-Idodo area of the Enugu/Abakaliki Expressway on Wednesday.

    The command described the report as misleading, mischievous and aimed at creating panic.

    The Command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Enugu.

    Ndukwe said that the stance given in an online publication remained a total distortion of facts surrounding the incident of an attempted abduction along the said road, on July 16, 2024, around 6p.m.

    Ndukwe said that contrary to the misleading report, a Joint Security team, upon receipt of a distress call on the incident, moved to the Enugu/Ebonyi States border point along the Enugu/Abakaliki Expressway, on the said date and time.

    “Hence, they rescued 13 occupants of a Nissan commercial bus. However, three others, who scampered into nearby bushes upon the attack, are yet-to-be located,” he said.

    The command spokesman said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, had ordered the sustenance of ongoing operations to locate and rescue the three missing victims and also hunt down the assailants.

    Ndukwe said that the commissioner reassured commitment of the command to sustain collaborative efforts with internal and neigbouring States’ security forces to ensure watertight security on major highways and borders.

    “The commissioner further cautions reporters and publishers to always verify their facts before going to press,” he said .

    This, he said, was to avoid misleading reports and creating panic in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public,” he added.

  • Enugu Assembly holds valedictory session for deceased lawmaker

    Enugu Assembly holds valedictory session for deceased lawmaker

    The Enugu State House of Assembly, on Thursday, organised a valedictory session in honour of a former lawmaker, late Mr Michael Anih, who represented Enugu North Constituency in the old Anambra House of Assembly.

    Anih, who hailed from Ngwo Community in Enugu North Local Government Area, died at the age of 77 on May 24.

    In a speech during the session on the floor of the House, the Speaker, Chief Uche Ugwu, paid glowing tribute to the deceased “for his legislative contributions to the growth and development of the state”.

    Ugwu said that Anih “died at a time his legislative experience was needed most”.

    He prayed God for the eternal repose of his soul and to grant his family, especially his wife, the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Also, the lawmaker representing Enugu South Rural Constituency, Mrs Obiajulu Ugwu, said the deceased helped to mentor many people into leadership position.

    Ugwu, who is the Deputy Chief Whip of the assembly, said the late lawmaker would be missed for his contributions to the development of the state.

    The member representing Oji-River Constituency, Mr Osita Ngwu, also described the lawmaker as a good man, who made himself accessible to all, while in office.

    In a vote of thanks on behalf of the bereaved family, Air Commodore Onubugu Onoh (Rtd) thanked the House for the honour and respect accorded to their late brother.

    Onoh expressed satisfaction that the late legislator did his best in the service to humanity and state during his lifetime.

  • PDP Governors arrive Enugu for crucial meeting

    PDP Governors arrive Enugu for crucial meeting

    Ten out of the 13 Governors elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have so far arrived the Enugu State Government House for the party’s Governors Forum meeting on Wednesday.

    The Governors are Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Umo Eno of Akwa-Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.

    Others are Ahmed Fintiri of Adamawa, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and the host Governor, Peter Mbah of Enugu.

    The meeting was be preceded by a gala and cultural night, but the agenda for the meeting remain unclear.

    However, close sources disclosed that the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, and other key party leaders were expected to join the governors in the Enugu parley.

    The sources said that governors would most likely deliberate on how to organise successful state congresses nationwide on July 27, preparations for the forthcoming Edo and Ondo States off-season governorship election.

    They are also expected to review the implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Local Governments as well as the issue of mass defections of top party members in Imo, Abia states.

    This is more especially the recent defection of the former President of the Senate, Sen. Pius Anyim and others to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ).

    The Governors of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke and Bayelsa State, Douye Diri were yet to arrive at the time of filing this report.

  • Enugu Gov sacks ENSUBEB Chairman

    Enugu Gov sacks ENSUBEB Chairman

    Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State  relieved  the Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Dr Gabriel Ajah, of his position with immediate effect.

    Mr Aka Eze Aka, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, confirmed the development in Enugu on Monday.

    The commissioner, who did not disclose the reason for the sack, said that there was minor reshuffle in the board.

    According to him, Dr Hyginus Bankho, who was before now, the Member two of the board takes over as the new chairman.

    Dr Amaka Ngene, who was Member 1 of the board has been moved to the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB) as the Chairman.

  • Nigerian man sent to prison for hawking new naira notes

    Nigerian man sent to prison for hawking new naira notes

    A Nigerian man, Onuigbo Chibuzor has been sentenced to prison over his involvement in currency racketeering in Enugu State.

    The suspect, TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) understands that, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Confirming this in a publication via its official X handle, the anti-graft agency on Tuesday stated that Chibuzor was brought before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Enugu on a single charge of hawking the newly printed naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The charge against Chibuizo read: “That you, Onuigbo Chibuzor, on the 8th of June, 2024, at Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, hawked the total sum of N40,000.00 mints in N200 denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”

    The suspect pleaded guilty to the charge.

    The EFCC prosecutor, Ajobiewe Enitan, subsequently reviewed the facts of the case and tendered the defendant’s confessional statements and the ₦40,000 recovered as exhibits, which were admitted in evidence.

    The defence counsel, I. Davidson, at the court, pleaded for leniency, stating, “He (Chibuizor) is a first-time offender and he is a family man with three kids.”

  • Why INEC postponed Enugu State constituency rerun election

    Why INEC postponed Enugu State constituency rerun election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the rescheduled rerun election for the Enugu South 1 State Constituency was postponed due to security reason.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, disclosed this in Enugu on Sunday that the postponed election was cancelled earlier last week due to security consideration.

    Chukwu disclosed that the rerun election, which was fixed after stakeholders’ engagements to hold on June 8, would hold on a further date to be communicated by the commission.

    “Last week, the scheduled rerun election was postponed and duly communicated to all stakeholders with a clear reason for the postponement.

    “But I am surprised some misguided people are taking up all sorts of unfounded falsehood and rumours against the commission that it seems the election had been held in secret even as I am speaking to you,” he said.

    Mr Bright Ngene, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the State House of Assembly was declared winner of the March 18, 2023 election and was sworn in but the election was nullified by the tribunal for being inconclusive.

    This is the third attempt by the INEC to hold the election.

    As early as 7am on Saturday, voters had converged in the affected polling units but no official of the INEC was seen at the venue.

    The LP candidate for the election, Mr Ngene, who was at the polling centre expressed dismay over the development.

    He told journalists that there was no information available to him and his party that the election would not hold.

    On his part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr Sam Ngene, however, said the postponement was duly communicated to his party.

  • Fire guts Enugu timber market

    Fire guts Enugu timber market

    No fewer than five shops were on Tuesday gutted by fire at the timber market in Kenyatta Street, Uwani, Enugu State.

    A correspondent who was at the scene of the incident, reports that prompt response by the state Fire Service quenched the fire from spreading to other parts of the plywood market.

    A firefighter, who preferred anonymity, said the service received a distress call around 9.45 pm that the market was on fire and it immediately swung into action and quenched the fire before it spread to other parts of the market.

    “As you can see, only about five shops were affected by the fire in this big market. I cannot say much on this incident as I am not the Chief Fire Officer,” the fireman said.

    Meanwhile, an eyewitness who identified himself as Joe, disclosed that he noticed the fire immediately after the suspension of the nationwide industrial strike by the labour unions in the country.

    According to him, some neighbours in the area rushed to the market and within a few minutes, the fire service arrived and quenched the fire.

    ”I thank God and the fire service for the quick response, otherwise, it would have been disastrous,” he said.

  • Enugu announces date for LG elections

    Enugu announces date for LG elections

    The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), has fixed Oct. 5, 2024 for elections into Local Government Councils.

    A statement by Prof. Christian Ngwu, its Chairman, advised registered political parties and the general public to obtain election guidelines and other details from the ENSIEC headquarters.

    “The election will be conducted to fill 17 Chairmanship seats and 260 ward Councillorship positions across the state,” the statement said.