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Tag: Enugu

  • Mbah extends wage award payments till new minimum wage is ready

    Mbah extends wage award payments till new minimum wage is ready

    Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State has promised continuous payment of wage awards to state workers until committee on new minimum wage concludes its work.

    The governor made the pledge during the Town Hall meeting with Enugu people on Saturday at the Old Government House, Enugu.

    The governor began the payments of the wage award of between N10,000 and N25,000 to state workers last December to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

    The town hall meeting was attended by representatives of the Civil Society Organisations, women, students, youth, business owners, traders, transport unions and others.

    Mbah said his government would prioritise workers’ welfare, adding that he would create values that would help workers to thrive.

    “Until new minimum wage is concluded, we will continue to pay wage award,” he assured.

    The governor who added that his administration inherited arrears of pension and gratuity of retired civil servants, explained that he did not waste time in clearing them.

    “Today we are working seriously to clear that of primary school teachers and Local Government workers.

    On education, Mbah said his administration identified it as the strongest weapon to fight poverty, saying “this is why we are building SMART Schools across 260 wards which will be operational by September, 2025.

    “Our children will now be using tablets to study and teachers smart boards to teach while the student would learn about artificial intelligence, robotics and others that will make them technological inclined,” he said.

    The governor said that the government was building level two Primary Health Centres across the 260 wards to reduce infant and Maternal mortality in the state.

    Mbah said that it had already awarded 30 contracts for the health centers and about to award 100 more.

    On electricity, the governor disclosed that the state was working to generate and distribute electricity to provide power for homes and businesses in the state.

    “Electricity being the major infrastructural requirement for private sector to thrive, we took advantage when the Federal Government removed it from exclusive list to concurrent list by establishing Enugu State Electricity Commission.

    “There shall be no monopoly as people will be allowed to buy and sell electricity”

    Mbah also pledged to designed a programme to ensure students palliative and also sustain the state’s Scholarship Board.

    NAN

  • Alleged brutalisation of minor: Enugu women place N1m bounty on Anambra woman

    Alleged brutalisation of minor: Enugu women place N1m bounty on Anambra woman

    Women from Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State have placed N1 million bounty on an Anambra woman, Mrs Adachukwu Okafor, who reportedly brutalised her 11-year-old househelp.

    Operating under the auspices of Umuada Awgu Global Association (UAGA), the group also issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Okafor to hand herself over to the police.

    The Founder and President of UAGA, Chinemerem Anyi, announced the financial reward for any informant on the fleeing woman’s whereabouts at the group’s news briefing on the matter on Thursday in Enugu.

    According to Anyi, anybody who avails the police, Anambra State Government or other relevant authorities with useful information that can lead to the woman’s arrest will smile home with N1 million from the group.

    She said that Okafor, who hail from Anambra and lived in Onitsha, was accusing the victim of touching the private part of her eight-year-old daughter, while bathing her.

    Anyi, who was flanked at the briefing by other members of the group, said “it beats our imagination that almost three weeks after the woman perpetrated the evil act, the police were still saying that she is still at large”.

    She said that the organisation was beginning to smell a rat, “going by the manner the matter was being handled by the Anambra Police Command”.

    She said that the group also issued the police 48-hour ultimatum to apprehend the perpetrator or incur its wrath.

    She said: “The Awgu women have been resisting the temptation of taking the law into our hands over the matter as civilised people but we warn that such calm disposition should not be taken for granted or weakness.

    “We are heartbroken over the barbaric act and today, we gathered for this important press briefing over the recent brutalisation of our daughter, Miss Happiness Nwafor, by her wicked madam.

    “We are using this platform to call on the woman to better submit herself to the police or other relevant authorities, because no matter where she is, she will be fished out.

    “Our searchlight is on you and we will not rest until justice is served on this matter,” Anyi said.

    The group urged the police and Anambra Government to, as a matter of urgency, imploy every arsenal to apprehend the woman, saying that it was being pushed to the wall over the issue.

    “Okafore has murdered sleep and cannot sleep, she has bitten more than she can chew,” it also said.

    The group, therefore, called on mothers to bear the number of children they could carter for, so as to avoid giving out their underaged children as househelps.

    The group had on February 7, staged a peaceful protest in Enugu, demanding justice for the victim.

    In a related development, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development on Tuesday announced a N2 million reward for any person with useful information on the woman’s whereabouts.

    Okafor allegedly brutalised her househelp, Happiness Nwafor, whom she brought in January to live with her.

    She was reported to have inserted a hot knife into the minor’s private part and also burned her face and buttock with a hot electric iron.

    Meanwhile, the Anambra Police Command has declared the woman, who is said to be at large, wanted.

  • Enugu Assembly orders suspension of work on disputed lands

    Enugu Assembly orders suspension of work on disputed lands

    The Enugu State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate suspension of work on the land in dispute among Obeagu Awkunanaw, Ugwuaji, Ugwu Afor Akpugo, and Umuedenwaoko Akpugo.

    The order is contained in a statement issued by the Chairman, Special Committee on Land Disputes, Mr Pius Ezugwu, and made available to newsmen in Enugu on Monday.

    Ezugwu stated that the order became imperative to pave the way for all parties to work toward a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

    He warned that engaging in any activity on the disputed land was an invitation to violence and war which, he said, the committee would not tolerate.

    He directed the police and other security agencies to arrest anyone found around the disputed lands or engaging in any form of work in the place.

    He also directed traditional rulers, president-generals as well as developers in the affected communities to appear before the committee at the Assembly complex on Tuesday.

    According to him, the crucial meeting is vital for a comprehensive discussion and resolution of the land dispute.

  • Demolished buildings in Enugu were kidnappers den – Govt officials

    Demolished buildings in Enugu were kidnappers den – Govt officials

    The Enugu State Government has refuted trending videos of alleged indiscriminate demolition of property at the Enugu Centenary City, saying the originators of the video tried to de-market the state for investment.

    Aka Eze Aka, the State Commissioner for Information, and the Executive Chairman, Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), Mr Uche Anya, stated this when they took newsmen round the demolished building that housed suspected kidnappers on Saturday in Enugu.

    The government said it only demolished illegal and uncompleted structures, which served as kidnappers’ hideout, stressing that it was yet to demolish any of the unapproved structures in the area.

    They added that the action of the (ECTDA) in collaboration with security agencies underscored its commitment to the security of lives and property, protection of investments and contracts with investors.

    The duo were reacting to the trending video posted by a Social Media influencer on Saturday alleging that Enugu Government demolished over 200 buildings at Enugu Centenary City and appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah to stop further demolition of more property in the estate.

    Addressing newsmen, Aka said: “What we saw in the trending video today was an attempt by the originators to demarket Enugu State as an investment destination for Real Estate development.

    “But in reality the operation by ECTDA and the security agencies was a testament that government is resolved to rid the state of criminal elements and protect property rights and investments in the state.

    “You are all aware of the distance we travelled from the city to get to this place. The culprits did not only erect the structures without any title and approval, they got inside this place pretending to be doing block industry, whereas as you can see, they were into nefarious activities.”

    On the allegations by a content creator on the social media, the Commissioner said: “When the person, who was on the video began to talk about trying to destroy his house and so on, it is important to state that not one single building earmarked for demolition was touched.

    “This is because we also have a human feeling to allow these houses for them to be regularised; they just went about to recycle old videos where some property were destroyed by past administrations,” Aka said.

    On his part, Anya said the agency would not “succumb to blackmail, including recycling and trending of videos of past demolitions.”

    He explained that  ECTDA Law prohibited carrying out any development or municipal service within the capital territory without the written approval of the Authority.

    “For the avoidance of doubts, Section 13 (1) of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority Law, 2009, provides:

    “‘Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, as from the commencement of this Law, no person or body shall carry out any development or municipal service within the Capital Territory, unless such development or municipal service has been approved in writing by the Authority,” he said.

    He said the current ECTDA leadership was determined to stop unauthorised developments and carry on with the urban master plan restoration and renewal process, including those initiated by successive administrations.

    “We took the initiative to mark the affected property in October, 2023, issuing notices that should accord the developers a window to regularise their titles/properties, if any.

    “For emphasis, even though the notices had since expired, no unapproved but completed or occupied building was demolished during the exercise by ECTDA. We are still calling on the developers to do the right thing,” he said.

    He explained that the Jan. 19 operation was based on an intelligence report about an illegal property that served as kidnappers’ den at the Centenary City.

    He stressed that in the course of their due diligence, they found out that the property, like many others at Centenary City, had no title or approval from the appropriate authorities.

    “Although the building was not fully completed, the criminals had already mounted sophisticated surveillance equipment such as CCTV cameras, PTZ cameras, in addition to about two dozens of mobile phones denoting the dangerous level of sophistication.

    “As some of the videos already in public domain clearly show, we made some chilling discoveries on storming the property with security operatives, including several guns and suspected kidnappers, whom the security agents were able to apprehend,” he said.

  • Police raid criminals’ hideout in Enugu, arrest 3, recover firearms

    Police raid criminals’ hideout in Enugu, arrest 3, recover firearms

    Police raided a criminals’ hideout at Centenary City, Enugu, on Friday and arrested three armed suspects.

    Other gang members fled the scene before they could be arrested, however.

    Police spokesman in Enugu State, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, stated on Saturday that police recovered eight pump action guns, four live and 26 expended cartridges at the scene.

    He added that police also recovered one machete, four units of solar-powered CCTV cameras, 13 GSM phones, one DVD player, four bags, clothes, and objects suspected to be charms from the hideout.

    “Preliminary investigation showed that the criminal elements had been using the hideout for the design and perfection of armed robbery and kidnapping, among other crimes.

    “The suspects shall be arraigned at the conclusion of investigations,’’ Ndukwe stated.

    Police in the state also enjoined residents to remain law-abiding, vigilant and to continue to give credible and actionable security information to the police.

    Such reports could be lodged through telephone numbers: 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202, or 08098880172, or to infoenugupolice@gmail.com, Ndukwe stated.

  • Enugu Senator denies receiving palliative for constituents

    Enugu Senator denies receiving palliative for constituents

    Sen. Okechukwu Ezea (LP-Enugu) says he has yet to receive bags of rice from the Federal Government for distribution as palliative to his constituents.

    Ezea, who represents Enugu North at the National Assembly, said this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

    ‘’I’m yet to receive any material palliative, whether money or food item, from the federal government for my constituents.

    ‘’However, in the event of receiving the palliative I will in line with my principle of equity and fairness share such palliative transparently.

    ‘’Given the enormity of hardship faced by my constituents, I at my own personal cost have gone ahead to distribute bags of rice in the new year across the 102 wards of my district.

    ‘’The distribution has been concluded at the local government level, while sharing of the items to the beneficiaries is currently ongoing across the ward,’’ he said.

    Some media organisations had quoted unnamed sources, claiming that President Bola Tinubu had allocated tonnes of rice to lawmakers for distribution to their constituents as palliative over fuel subsidy removal.

     

  • Troops apprehend IPOB/ESN commander in Enugu

    Troops apprehend IPOB/ESN commander in Enugu

    Troops of Sector 1 Exercise GOLDEN DAWN III, in conjunction with other security agencies, apprehended a commander of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

    The IPOB/ESN Commander, Mr Uchechukwu Akpa, and three others, were apprehended on Wednesday, following a credible intelligence report.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, acting Deputy Director, 82 Division Army Public Relations, on Thursday in Enugu.

    Unuakhalu said that the IPOB/ESN commander and his men were apprehended at their hideout at Christ the King Catholic Church, Ameta, Mgbowo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    “The arrest was made possible during a raid on their hideout while they were holding a meeting to take over the leadership of IPOB/ESN Auto Pilot Command, Enugu State Chapter, from apprehended former Commander populaly known as “Chocho”.

    “They were also planning to carry out attacks on our troops.

    “During the raid, Mr Uchechukwu Akpa sustained a gunshot wound while trying to escape.

    “Others arrested are Anthony Ude, Ikechukwu Ulanta, and Ezennaya Udeigewere, while quantity 4 of live cartridge were recovered,” he said.

    The army Spokesperson recalled that Akpa was the Second-in-Command to Chocho, a notorious IPOB/ESN criminal, who earlier escaped to Benue State due to the intensity of the operations and was recently arrested.

    He noted that the arrested criminals were presently in custody for further interrogation.

    In a follow-up raid carried out at the early hours of today (Thursday) at another hideout in Nenwe community in Agwu LGA, the following were recovered – one AK 47 rifle, two AK 47 magazines, 25 rounds of 7.62mm NATO special ammunition and one pump action rifle.

    “The General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Hassan  Dada, wishes to appreciate the incredible cooperation of other security agencies for the success of the operation.

    “He wishes to enjoin the good people of the South-East to support and continually provide timely, reliable, and credible information that will lead to the arrest of more unscrupulous elements through the Emergency Line 193. ”

    “The Nigerian Army will continue to protect lives and property of the good people of the South-East as it carries out its constitutional roles within the ambit of the law,” he added.

  • Commissioner orders investigation into police misconduct in Enugu

    Commissioner orders investigation into police misconduct in Enugu

    Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered investigation into alleged unprofessional conduct of police operatives in Nsukka area of the state.

    “I have ordered the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the State CID Enugu, to immediately investigate the allegations so as to bring culprits to book.

    “Victims of the alleged acts of misconduct should volunteer information to aid the investigation,’’ he said in a statement issued in Enugu on Sunday by police spokesman in the state, DSP Daniel Ndukwe.

    Uzuegbu explained that his directive followed recent receipt of social media reports alleging unprofessional conduct on the part of some police officers in Nsukka town.

    “I call on residents to remain calm,’’ the commissioner pleaded.

    He reaffirmed his unwavering stance against unethical conduct on the part of police operatives and reassured of maximum protection of the rights of citizens in accordance with extant laws.

    “I enjoin the citizenry to support the police reform agenda by remaining law-abiding and by promptly reporting acts of police misconduct for necessary disciplinary actions,’’ he stressed.

    Uzuegbu urged residents to report acts of police misconduct in the state by calling telephone number: 08099854883 or by sending emails to infoenugupolice@gmail.com.

  • Three arrested over alleged sexual molestation of 3-year-old pupil

    Three arrested over alleged sexual molestation of 3-year-old pupil

    The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested three people suspected of sexually molesting a three-year-old pupil in Enugu.

    The arrest is part of ongoing investigation into the sexual molestation of the girl, who is a pupil of Tenderlink School, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu.

    According to the spokesman of the command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, those arrested and facing interrogation included a teacher in the school and two others.

    “Preliminary investigation proves that the child (name withheld) was found to have been sexually molested, with physical injuries and patches of blood observed on her private part, after the school bus dropped her at home on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.

    “This is in addition to the receipt of similar complaints by parents of other children in the school.

    “Three suspects, comprising the victim’s female teacher, the school’s bus attendant and driver have been arrested for interrogation,” he said.

    Ndukwe said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, “appreciated the Enugu State Government’s decision to shut down the school pending the conclusion of the investigation”.

    He assured that anyone found culpable would face the full wrath of the law.

  • Enugu Guber: Appeal court upholds Mbah’s election

    Enugu Guber: Appeal court upholds Mbah’s election

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Friday upheld the election of Barrister Peter Mbah as the duly elected governor of Enugu state.

    The judgement upholding Mbah’s election was delivered by a three-man panel of the Appeal Court in a case filed by Barr Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, LP.

    According to the court, the Enugu lection Tribunal headed by was right to Hon. Justice K.M. Akano  was right to affirm Mbha’s election.

    All the three issues which were subject of the appeal were resolved in favour of Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    The three-member panel led by Justice Tijani Yusuf Hassan held that the appellant failed to prove that Mbah forged his National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate and was not qualified to contest the election.

    The allegations of over-voting in Nkanu East Local Government Area was also dismissed by the court.