Tag: Enugu

A female student of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, has lost her life after being crushed during a celebration by students marking the completion of their final year exams.

The accident, which took place on Monday evening, also left several students injured.

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased student, who attended the nearby Peaceland College of Education, had entered the IMT campus to celebrate with a friend who had just completed her final exams.

“While they were celebrating and signing off on the celebrants’ shirts, one of the graduating students, in a celebratory mood, was driving recklessly around. 

“Surprisingly, his car started driving with speed into the crowd and as if it lost its brakes, hit the students who were gathered there. The car eventually ran over the deceased, who died later while some other students sustained injuries”, a student told our correspondent.

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Reacting to the incident, the Acting Rector of the IMT, De. Emeka Ejim, noted that he had repeatedly warned students of the institution against “riotous and excessive celebration”.

He disclosed that apart from the deceased victim, two other female students from the public administration department were injured in the accident.

The rector, who noted that the injured students were receiving treatment at Posh Hospital in the New Haven Area of Enugu, also added that one of the injured students is an HND I student while the second victim is an HND II – all from the public administration department of the institution.

He said one of the injured students would be transferred to the Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu on Wednesday because X-ray results showed she had a fractured bone in her leg.

The institution also announced the indefinite suspension of the final year examinations in the institution.

“The AB and the management will be having an emergency meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, 2 October 2024, at 9 00 a.m. to deliberate further,” the acting rector said.

 Following the excesses of Oriokpa masqueraders, which have reportedly resulted in two fatalities and commotion in parts of Nsukka Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State, the state government has summoned the traditional rulers and Presidents-General of the affected communities.

The state government has equally directed a full-scale investigation into the activities of the Oriokpa masquerade groups in the area, vowing to bring the perpetrators to book.

This was contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo.

“The Enugu State Government has received reports on the untoward activities of Oriokpa masqueraders in some parts of Nsukka LGA of the state, which has reportedly caused pandemonium, bodily harm, and fatalities in the area.

“Consequently, and following the express directive of His Excellency, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, the traditional rulers and Presidents-General of the town unions of the affected communities are hereby invited to meet with the Hon. Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, at the State Secretariat on Friday, September 27, 2024. The venue is the Office of the Honourable Commissioner, and the time is 1 pm prompt.

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“The affected communities are Nguru, Isiakpu, Echara, Nru, Edem-Ezema, Iheagu, Ihe, Owere, and Umuoyo.

“Furthermore, the governor has equally directed the Commissioner of Police to immediately institute a full-scale investigation into the incidents, including the reported fatalities resulting from the activities of the said masquerade groups with a view to bringing whoever is culpable to book.”

While commiserating with families of those said to have lost their lives in circumstances connected with the activities of the masquerades, the government has also warned that it would not condone any further excesses by any persons or groups.

Security has been tightened at the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), ahead of Saturday’s Local Government Areas elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that elections will be conducted in the 18 LGAs of the state to elect their chairmen and councillors.

A NAN correspondent who went round the city reports that Armoured Personnel Carrier belonging to the police bomb squad and other security vehicles were seen stationed at strategic positions at the ENSIEC office and its environs.

Stern looking security personnel were also seen manning security at various locations in and around the ENSIEC office.

The adjoining streets to the commission were also blocked by heavily armed security men.

Further checks by our correspondent shows that other major roads in and out of Enugu were also blocked by security personnel as early as 7 a.m to forestall any breakdown of order.

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However, those on essential duties like the media and others were subjected to thorough search before they were allowed passage at various checking points.

A security personnel who refused to mention his name, said that security agents were acting on order.

He said their duty was to ensure peaceful conduct of the election and nothing short of that.

The police command had earlier in a statement announced that movement shall be restricted during the local government elections to be conducted across the 18 council areas of the state. (NAN)

The Enugu state government has issued an immediate ban on unapproved medical outreaches by individuals and organisations to safeguard public health.

Announcing the decision in a press statement, Health Commissioner Prof. Ikechukwu, Obi directed that any group planning to provide medical services, including health outreaches, must first apply for and obtain proper permits from the ministry.

The ban followed investigations that revealed some of the products used in these outreaches were expired or close to expiration, resulting in health complications for beneficiaries.

The government also raised concerns about the qualifications of those conducting the services, emphasising that only certified professionals capable of proper diagnosis and treatment should be involved in any medical outreach within the state.

“The Enugu State Ministry of Health has noticed with dismay that some organizations offer medical and health outreach services in the state without the approval of the ministry.

“The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, wishes to state that, henceforth, any form of medical outreach and other health services either by public or private health institutions in the state must get approval from the State Ministry of Health.

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“This is necessary to ensure that the medical services are carried out by certified professionals, using appropriate medical equipment and products, while following standard operating procedure,” the statement reads in part.

While commending eminent individuals and organisations for the laudable initiative of medical outreaches, the government reiterated that it would continue to partner with them for the progress of the state.

It, however, stressed that it would not compromise the health and safety of the people on the altar of unregulated medical practices, warning of severe consequences for non-compliance.

The Enugu state government has urged students of the Enugu State College of Health Technology in Oji River to resume their studies, assuring them that security at the institution has been strengthened.

The government’s call followed last week’s abduction of some students of the college by suspected herders in the area.

During a meeting with the college’s management, staff, and students at the Enugu State Government House over the weekend, Dr. Yomi Jaye, the special adviser on health matters, also announced plans to upgrade the college’s infrastructure.

The goal is to modernize the facilities and transform the institution into a technologically advanced centre of learning.

Jaye, who stressed the government’s commitment to ensuring quality health service delivery in the state, emphasized the need for the students of the institution to go back to school and continue their academic activities.

He disclosed that all those involved in the recent breach of security in the school’s neighbourhood had been rounded up and now facing the law.

He equally gave the college management a two-week ultimatum to develop a work plan, which the government would work on to ensure that the school functions at its optimum level.

Dr. Jaye said: “We interacted with the management, staff and students of the Enugu State College of Health Technology, Orji River, to come up with a strategic plan to revamp the college and restore its lost glory. His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, has expressed his willingness not only to revamp the school but to upscale it to a technology-savvy teaching community.

“As you can see, the government is bullish about building a Type-2 Healthcare Centre in each of the 260 wards and this college will produce some qualified workers that will deliver quality healthcare services to Ndi Enugu.

“We appeal to the parents and guardians to allow the students to go back to school and resume their academic activities as more security personnel have been deployed to make sure that both Oji River and its neighbouring communities are properly secured.

“It is also important to inform you that those who perpetrated the security breach have since been arrested and the victims, which included one student, also freed,” he maintained.

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Also speaking, the Provost of the College, Dr. Lazarus Ezugwu, expressed his happiness over the state government’s move to revamp the institution, saying he was optimistic that the glory of the institution would be restored in no distant time.

While commending Governor Peter Mbah and the security agencies for their swift response to the recent security breach at the college, he also confirmed that security had been strengthened around the institution and Oji River in general.

“The meeting is such a commendable one. It goes a long way in telling us the type of visionary leader we have in the state. To be sincere, the total overhaul that will be done in the college is going to be enormous. What is coming to the college cannot be imagined because the governor has shown both special interest and political will. This is what we have been yearning for, for so many years,” Dr. Ezugwu stated.

The Executive Chairman, Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Mr. Emmanuel Nnamani, on Friday said the state generated  N35. 9 billion in  the first seven months of 2024.

 According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nnamani disclosed this in Enugu, while speaking at a programme to mark his first anniversary in office.

 He said the state was  able to record the feat owing to the machinery put in place by Gov. Peter Mbah, to boost revenue collection and block leakages.

 According to him, the revenue was generated through sales of E-TICKET, collection of Pay -As- You Earn, Land Use Charge Withholding, capital gain, and consumption taxes, amongst others.

 “We can say that in seven months of 2024, the state has recorded N35. 9 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) , compared with N33.9 billion recorded for the whole of  2023.

 “This gives us an average collection of  N5 billion every month,” he said.

 Nnamani explained that when he came on board, he introduced E-ticketing for collection of taxes from the informal sector ,capturing markets, transporters ,artisans and others.

 He described E-ticketing as a disruptive means of  informal sector tax collection.

 The EISR boss  noted that in the informal sector, taxes were hitherto being paid to non-state actors instead of government’s coffers .

“This year, we have recorded over N2.3 billion from the informal sector and it is an achievement.

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 “We also discovered that in the core area of taxes like Pay As You Earn Tax, Withholding taxes on individuals,  only a few companies remit these taxes to the Enugu government,” he said.

 He further said the government had digitalised tax collection by expanding the gateway to six, including Inter Switch, Remita, E-transact, portal, and Monie Point.

 “All these are to ease our ways of tax collection and with this little effort, our taxes have begun to rise.

 “There were dormant taxes also that we activated such as Capital Gain Tax to boost IGR generation.

 “We equally activated the purchase tax,  which had not been activated for collection. They are majorly on hotels and other support services in the state like sales of beer, cigarettes, cars, and others,” he said

 He added that the government expanded  collection of Land Use Charge through activation of  Geographic Information System.

 “We have proof that the number of properties within  Enugu Metropolis and sub-urban areas are more than 290,000  and we want to make sure every single property owner pays land use charges,” Nnamani said.