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  • Mbah announces N25,000 cash awards for Enugu workers

    Mbah announces N25,000 cash awards for Enugu workers

    Enugu Governor Peter Mbah has announced cash awards of between N10,000 and N25,000 to workers till April 2024 while also assuring that the new minimum wage negotiation would soon be concluded. 

    Mbah stressed that the welfare of workers remained the priority of his administration because his laudable goals for Enugu could not be attained without a happy workforce.

    Mbah also announced an increase of the state social register enrolment from 43,000 to 260,000, promising to lift more indigent citizens through cash transfers and other social interventions.

    He made these known during a joint media briefing with Labour leaders at the Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday saying the administration was also making other social interventions apart from the cash transfer to better the lives of Enugu State workers.

    “As you may be aware, since the removal of the petroleum subsidy, we have been in constant negotiation with the labour unions in the state, crafting a way forward on how we can provide palliatives to our teeming workforce.

    “So, by the time you put a monetary value to all the social services we have provided, it will weigh well above N100,000 minimum wage.

    Read Also: Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor

    “But in addition to that, with effect from next month (December), we are going to also make a flat payment to all categories of our workers, beginning from our local government to the primary and secondary school teachers, and civil servants. We are going to categorise them and there will be flat payment of between N10,000 and 25,000, depending on the category. That payment is going to continue till April.

    “Our hope is that by the end of April, the committee that is reviewing the minimum wage would have come out with what would then become the new minimum wage in the state. So, from there, we are just going to carry on the implementation of what is then set as the minimum wage,” he stated.

    Enugu chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Fabian Nwigbo and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Benneth Asogwa, thanked the Governor for his proactive steps towards the welfare of workers, saying they were happy that Enugu workers did not have to lobby, protest or embark on strike to have their salaries and welfare addressed.

  • Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor

    Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor

    The State and National Assembly Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the election of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) as governor of Enugu State.

    The Appellate Court, yesterday, in a unanimous decision, resolved all three issues canvassed against the appellant, Edeoga Chijioke Jonathan of the Labour Party in favour of the PDP candidate.

    The three-member panel presided over by Justice Tani Yusuf Hassan held that the Appellant failed to prove that the respondent was not qualified to contest the governorship election.

    On the allegation of overvoting, Justice Hassan in her lead judgement held that the Voters’ Register was never placed before the lower tribunal, and that failure to tender the Voters Register before the lower tribunal rendered the appeal inadmissible.

    The court held that the testimony of all the witnesses called by the appellant did not prove that there was over-voting in the governorship election.

    The Appeal Court consequently dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit and affirmed the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal, which declared Mbah of the PDP as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mbah of the PDP the winner of the March 18 governorship election having polled 160,895 votes.

    Edeoga of the LP came second with 157,552 votes, while Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 17, 983 votes to claim third place.

    Dissatisfied, Edeoga and his party had approached the tribunal urging it to disqualify Mbah and declare him the winner of the election, while claiming to have polled the highest valid votes cast.

    The petitioners also challenged the candidacy of the governor over an alleged forgery of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

    In its judgement, the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirmed Peter Mbah as the duly elected governor of the state.

    Read Also: Afenifere disowns Adebanjo over Supreme Court judgment on Tinubu’s victory

    Delivering judgment, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal led by  Justice Kudirat Akano, dismissed the petition filed by Chijioke Edeoga, of the LP.

    The tribunal held that Edeoga and his party failed to prove their case.

    The court held that Mbah met the minimum requirements for the election which is a school certificate or its equivalent.

    The tribunal rejected Edeoga’s witnesses, adding that the petitioners did not present any admissible evidence to prove that Mbah’s certificate was forged.

    “NYSC discharge certificate is not a qualification for governorship,” the tribunal ruled.

    “Assuming that the NYSC discharge certificate of the second respondent as claimed by the petitioners was forged, is the NYSC certificate a qualification to contest for governor in Nigeria according to the constitution? The answer is no.”

  • Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor, dismisses LP’s candidate’s petitions

    Appeal Court affirms Mbah as Enugu governor, dismisses LP’s candidate’s petitions

    The State and National Assembly Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the election of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor of Enugu State.

    The Appellate Court on Friday, November 10, in a unanimous decision, resolved all three issues canvassed against the appellant, Edeoga Chijioke Jonathan of the Labour Party in favour of the PDP candidate.

    The 3-member panel presided over by Justice Tani Yusuf Hassan held that the appellant failed to prove that the respondent was not qualified to contest the governorship election.

    On the allegation of over-voting, Justice Hassan in her lead judgment held that the “Voters’ Register was never placed before the lower tribunal, and that failure to tender the Voters Register before the lower tribunal rendered the appeal inadmissible.

    The court held that the testimony of all the witnesses called by the appellant did not prove that there was over-voting in the governorship election.

    Read Also: I cried most in 2012 – Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

    The Appeal Court consequently dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit and affirmed the judgment of the election petition tribunal, which declared Mbah of the PDP as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mbah of the PDP the winner of the March 18 governorship election having polled 160,895 votes.

    Edeoga of the LP came second with 157,552 votes, while Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 17, 983 votes to claim third place.

    Dissatisfied, Edeoga and his party had approached the tribunal urging it to disqualify Mbah and declare him the winner of the election, while claiming to have polled the highest valid votes cast.

    The petitioners also challenged the candidacy of the governor over an alleged forgery of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

    In its judgement, the Enugu state governorship election petition tribunal affirmed Peter Mbah as the duly elected governor of the state.

    Delivering judgment, the Governorship election petition tribunal led by Justice Kudirat Akano, dismissed the petition filed by Chijioke Edeoga, of the LP.

    The tribunal held that Edeoga and his party failed to prove their case.

    The court held that Mbah met the minimum requirements for the election which is a school certificate or its equivalent.

    The tribunal rejected Edeoga’s witnesses, adding that the petitioners did not present any admissible evidence to prove that Mbah’s certificate was forged.

    The court ruled: “NYSC discharge certificate is not a qualification for governorship. Assuming that the NYSC discharge certificate of the second respondent as claimed by the petitioners was forged, is the NYSC certificate a qualification to contest for governor in Nigeria according to the constitution? The answer is no.”

  • Mbah’s certificate: Enugu PDP demands apology from NYSC

    Mbah’s certificate: Enugu PDP demands apology from NYSC

    From Damian Duruiheoma, Enugu

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State has demanded an open and unreserved apology from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for what it tagged conspiracy, deceit and wilful misrepresentation of facts to destroy Governor Peter Mbah and dislodge the party from the state.

    The party also accused NYSC of dabbling in the politics of Enugu State and rendering itself a willing tool in the hands of the opposition.

    The position of the party was made known in a statement issued by the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the PDP, Augustine Nnamani, in Enugu yesterday.

    The party was reacting to the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which cleared Mbah of certificate forgery and awarded N5 million damages in favour of the governor.

    The PDP accused the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed, and Director of Corps Certification, Muhammad Ibrahim, of dragging the reputation of the institution in the mud by dabbling in partisan politics.

    “The judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, not only exposed the underbelly of the profiteering, conspiracy, ineptness, political partisanship and duplicity in the Governor Mbah NYSC discharge certificate controversy, it also exposed the same factors that have rendered our public institutions weak and ineffectual.

    Read Also: Court fines NYSC N5m for tagging Mbah’s discharge certificate as fake

    “For instance, in discountenancing NYSC’s claim that a purported certificate number A673517 that could have been issued to Mbah was among the outdated, uncollected, unused and cancelled discharge certificates covering 1999 to 2004 that were allegedly burnt in 2022 on management’s directive, the court rightly wondered how the NYSC obtained the certificates dated 6th January 2003, which they certified and tendered before the court.

    “In the court’s words, ‘To make matters worse, the certification by the stamp thereon was done on 19th August, 2023, long after this case was initiated on 4th May, 2023; a person can only certify a document which original he is in his possession.

    “It is also a shame that in order to perfect their paid job, cover their tracks and fool the court, the NYSC resorted to withholding Mbah’s initial file with reference number LA/01/1532 or the temporary file with reference number LA/01/1532/T that contain his records of national service and certificate from the court.

    “The Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo therefore unmasked the shameful conspiracy when he held that ‘non-production of files with Ref. No. LA/01/1532 or File with Ref. No. LA/01/1532/T means the contents thereof would have gone against the defendants (NYSC’s) in this case and I so hold’”, Nnamani said.

    Nnamani said it should worry Nigerians that it was only in 2022 when the politics of 2023 was already underway that the NYSC found it most convenient and auspicious to burn purported unclaimed and unused discharge certificates from 1999 to 2004, if indeed it did so.

    Concluding, Nnamani said: “Now that the court has finally established the truth, which is that Mbah diligently served his fatherland and was honourably discharged; that the NYSC was merely playing dirty politics and tried to fool Nigerians and the court, we demand an immediate, open and unreserved apology from the NYSC to both Governor Peter Mbah and the PDP as an institution, and indeed the entire good people of Enugu State”.

  • Mbah woos Indonesian investors to Enugu

    Mbah woos Indonesian investors to Enugu

    Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has urged Indonesian businesses and investors to take advantage of the  investment opportunities, improved business environment and ample returns on investment (ROI) in the state.

    The governments of Nigeria and Indonesia have pledged closer collaboration to boost trade and investment between both countries for their mutual prosperity.

    Mbah made the call in a keynote address he delivered at the 2023 Nigerian-Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum, which opened in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on Monday.

    Speaking at the event organised by the Nigerian-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), in collaboration with Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre in Lagos, the governor, commending the growth of trade volume between Nigeria and Indonesia to $4.7 billion, said both countries could do much more, especially considering the opportunities offered by Enugu State.

    He listed the investment opportunities in the state to include agriculture, mineral resources, logistics, aviation, tourism, real estate, mineral resources, ICT, among others.

    “In the area of agriculture, Enugu is blessed with 100 per cent arable, fertile land with a high factor of productivity and good access to surface and subterranean water that makes all year-round agriculture possible.

    “The state is climatically disposed to the production of key produce such as cassava, oil palm, cashew, spices of various types.

    Read Also: Mbah launches building of 81 roads

    “These areas offer not only the opportunity for primary agricultural production, but also the opportunity to invest in industrial facilities to add value to these produce for local consumption as well as export.

     “The state is also blessed with significant deposits of minerals. In the area of petroleum, Enugu State has proven deposits of oil, but more importantly has extensive deposits of natural gas.

    “Other minerals within the state include coal, gold, kaolin, gypsum, clay and limestone, among others. This makes Enugu ideal not only for mining, but also for the siting of key industries,” Mbah said.

    He said Enugu was open for business, adding that his administration’s target to grow the state’s economy from the current $4.4billion to a new level of $30billion was anchored on extensive private sector investment and utilisation of strong local and international partnerships.

    “It is in view of this that we are here today reaching out to the government and business community in Indonesia to let you know in the clearest way possible that Enugu is open for business,” he stated.

    The governor listed some of the key ongoing steps taken by his administration to improve investment and business climate of Enugu State to include expansion of security networks for improved security, a functional One Stop Centre for speedy processing of investment interests and needs, massive urban and rural infrastructural development, establishing about 300,000 hectares land bank for corporate farmers and special agro-processing zones, establishing of Free Zones, the recently signed Enugu State Electricity Law to create a free market electric power, and the effort to build a Tier 4 Hyper Scale Data Centre.

    Others include far-reaching reforms towards stronger contract enforcement, ease of procurement of land titles, which will now take 72 hours.

  • Mbah launches building of 81 roads

    Mbah launches building of 81 roads

    Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah yesterday launched the building of 81 roads covering 71 urban and 10 rural roads.

    Performing the ceremony for the projects at the two-kilometre Premier Layout, Enugu City Road, in the Enugu metropolis, and Owo Road in Nkanu East Local Government, the governor described the projects as monumental.

    He said they were consistent with the pledge he made to the people as well as the social contract he executed on his first day in office to deliver people-focused governance.

    Mbah, who promised to deliver the roads before the end of December, said his administration would give the people the highest standard and highest quality of roads.

    Read Also: Peter Mbah’s awkward start

    He said he had since ensured that the roads that were built in urban and rural areas were properly funded.

    The governor said: “The launching today is significant, as it symbolises the commencement of the construction and reconstruction of 71 roads in Enugu urban areas.

    “As you know, we may not be able to go to all the 71 roads one by one to launch them for construction.

    “But this is consistent with the pledge we made to the people of Enugu State and also consistent with the social contract we executed on our first day in office to deliver people-focused governance.

    “For us, this is essentially what government is designed to do; to bring governance closer to the people.”

  • Assembly okays Mbah’s N170b request

    Assembly okays Mbah’s N170b request

    Enugu State House of Assembly has approved the request of the Governor Peter Mbah administration to source N170billion facility to fund capital projects, among others, in the state.

    The lawmakers unanimously approved the request yesterday, saying it would enable the government deliver on its mandate, especially in the provision of critical infrastructure needed to attract investments to the state.

    The assembly expressed delight that the loan would run its full course in the first tenure of the governor.

    A breakdown of the request is as follows: N100 billion bank guarantee line, N10 billion term loan, N10 billion overdraft facility and N50 billion credit facility.

    A letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and addressed to the Speaker, Uchenna Ugwu, said the request was sequel to the approval of the state Executive Council of the offer of N100 billion bank guarantee line, N10 billion term loan and N10 billion over draft facility from Fidelity Bank and N50 billion credit facility from Globus Bank.

    According to the letter, the N100 billion bank facility will guarantee payment for contracts issued to approved contractors.

    “The loan will be repaid via Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) on consolidated Enugu State IGR accounts, which will be domiciled in Fidelity Bank and domiciliation of JAAC/FAAC/Infrastructure Support.”

    Read Also: FG looking into gas exploration, solid minerals

    “The N10 billion term loan is on a tenure of 48 months, and a monthly repayment via ISPO on consolidated Enugu State IGR accounts, which will be domiciled in Fidelity Bank and domiciliation of JAAC/FAAC/Infrastructure Support. It will be used for infrastructural development.

    “The N10 billion overdraft facility will be used for prompt payment of recurrent expenditure such as salaries and has a tenure of 12 months with monthly clean up and repayment via ISPO on consolidated Enugu State IGR accounts, which will be domiciled in Fidelity Bank and domiciliation of JAAC/FAAC/Infrastructure Support.

    “The N50 billion credit facility is for the refinancing of the outstanding receivables from Enugu State Government and the repayment plan is 42 months equal and consecutive monthly repayment of principal and interest, which will be debited from Enugu State FAAC account with Globus Bank PLC,” the letter said.

  • Nigeria@63: We will overcome current challenges, says Governor Mbah

    Nigeria@63: We will overcome current challenges, says Governor Mbah

    Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu state has assured Nigerians that the country’s challenges are surmountable.

    The governor also urged Nigerians to work together for the country’s peace and development, saying national interest must always take precedence over every other interest and consideration.

    He stated these in a statement he personally signed and released Sunday morning, October 1, by his media office in commemoration of the nation’s 63rd independence anniversary.

    Mbah, who also stressed the import of quality education to nation-building, equally commended Nigerians for their resilience in the face of socio-economic challenges, expressing strong conviction that the country would emerge from the present difficulties stronger and more prosperous.

    He said: “The struggle for independence was not an easy one, but our founding fathers prevailed. Likewise, I have no doubt that we will ultimately emerge from the present socio-economic difficulties stronger and more prosperous if we all work together irrespective of political affiliations as well as ethnic and religious backgrounds.”

    Read Also: Nigeria@63: Thoughts of our fathers and we the children (1)

    The governor saluted the nation’s founding fathers for their doggedness, patriotic zeal, and lofty visions for Nigeria, urging all tiers of government to work together to reorient the country towards the path of recovery in all sectors of national life.

    He said for the country to reach its full potential as a prosperous nation and the true giant of Africa envisaged by the founding fathers, it must prioritise education as the cornerstone of nation-building, adding that it was for this reason that his administration was overhauling basic education in the state, including the ongoing construction of smart schools in each of the 260 wards in the state.

    He added: “On behalf of the government and good people of Enugu State, I salute all Nigerians on the occasion of our 63rd independence anniversary.

    “On this historic occasion, I would especially want to congratulate the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR as well as the 36 state governors and indeed all Nigerians.”

    Mbah said his administration was committed to urgent policy reforms in education, healthcare delivery, infrastructure, human capital development, and poverty eradication to chart a new path for socio-economic development.

    The governor said the state government was sustaining the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers through deliberate socio-political and economic reforms presently being undertaken.

    He stressed that Enugu had no business with poverty and assured that the state was on its way to sustainable economic prosperity given the short, mid, and long-term reforms and foundations being laid by the administration.

    “We are rewriting our history in a way that had never been imagined before in the history of the state. Ours is to play a leadership role by thinking out of the box and doing things differently. That we are presently doing, and let me reassure Ndi Enugu that we will not rest on our oars until we grow our economy to the projected $30 billion, transform social services, and kick poverty out of our state,” he said.

    Looking at the huge successes achieved in the education sector, the governor declared that basic education in the state must not only be offered with quality assurance but must also come with no cost implications for parents, saying the pilot project of the basic smart schools was on the verge of completion.

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  • Mbah urges Southeast residents to patronise UK Visa Centre in Enugu

    Mbah urges Southeast residents to patronise UK Visa Centre in Enugu

    Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah yesterday urged Southeast residents to patronise the United Kingdom (UK) Visa Application Centre in Enugu.

    Mbah made the call when he submitted his visa renewal application at the centre.

    The governor, who described the application process as swift and seamless, took the opportunity to appreciate the UK authorities for opening the centre.

    He said the centre would strengthen the UK-Southeast socio-economic ties.

    Mbah also advised Nigerians, especially people of the Southeast in and outside the region, to apply for UK visas at the Enugu Visa Centre.

    Speaking to reporters after submitting his application, Mbah said: “It was quite an experience”, adding that he was quite impressed.

    “I noticed that first of all, the time you spend here to file your application is quite short. We do not have the heavy traffic, as you will experience in other places.

    “I should also take this opportunity to call on our brothers and sisters in other Southeast states to know that there is now a visa centre in Enugu,” he said.

    Read Also: Tribunal: Labour Party vows to appeal judgement on Governor Mbah

    He said there was no need for them to go and stay on the long queues in Lagos and Abuja while they could easily come to Enugu and get their application processed expeditiously.

    “If you are coming to a centre like this, you are thinking of comfort, confidentiality and the amount of time you spend being attended to and you have all those benefits here.”

    “So, it is an opportunity even for those who live in Lagos and Abuja, I will also enjoin them to visit this Enugu UK Visa Centre to get attended to as quickly as possible,” the governor said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the British High Commission in Nigeria on September 11 announced the opening of a new submission centre for UK visa applications in Enugu State, starting from September 13.

    The UK Mission said the facility would operate from the Omedel Luxury Hotel, Independence Layout, Enugu, and would offer twice-a-week service on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, said the new visa application submission centre followed requests by Mbah and many others during his visit to Enugu in June.

  • Tribunals uphold Mbah’s, Benue deputy speaker’s election victories

    Tribunals uphold Mbah’s, Benue deputy speaker’s election victories

    • Edeoga’s over-voting, BVAS bypass allegations dismissed
    • Judgment today on Plateau governorship election dispute

    The Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal yesterday upheld the election victory of Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship poll.

    The tribunal, chaired by Justice Kudirat Morayo Akano, also struck out the allegations of over-voting, bypass of BVAS in the election, in the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga and the party.

    The tribunal ruled that Mbah was duly elected with majority of lawful and valid votes cast at the election.

    It had dismissed the allegation of Edeoga/LP that Mbah’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate was forged.

    The tribunal held that Mbah did not submit his NYSC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification to contest for office of governor since he was already qualified without the NYSC certificate.

    It rejected Edeoga’s witnesses and ruled that the LP governorship candidate did not present any admissible evidence to prove that Mbah’s certificate was forged.

    Also, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Chris Agu of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) against Mbah over allegation of forgery of NYSC certificate, non-qualification, and corruption.

    The panel averred that the witnesses the petitioners called could not specify the polling units where they claimed that election did not hold or the results allegedly obtained from such polling units.

    It said Mbah presented evidence that he was acquitted of the charges over the alleged plea bargain against him.

    The Enugu State governor has pleaded with his opponents in this year’s election to work with his administration to develop the state.

    Read Also: Protest rocks Osun govt secretariat over planned imposition of monarch 

    But Edeoga and the LP have said they will challenge the judgment of the tribunal at the Appeal Court.

    Reacting to the judgment in a statement yesterday in Abuja by its factional Chairman Julius Abure, the LP said: “Though we will seek redress at the Supreme Court immediately, knowing that justice was miscarried in this particular case and that the tribunal judgment cannot stand; however, we are worried about the level of degeneration in our judiciary where ridiculous rulings are frequently churned out from the hallowed temple of justice.”

    In his reaction, Edeoga said: “We retain a firm belief in justice and will go the full extent legally possible in ensuring that the hopes of Enugu people who turned out in their numbers to vote for Labour Party candidates on March 18, 2023 are realised.”

    In Benue State, the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Makurdi, the state capital, has upheld the election of the deputy speaker, Mrs. Lami Danladi.

    In a verdict it delivering yesterday, tribunal chairman, Justice Ory’zik Ikeorha, said the petitioners – Mrs. Agnes Uloko and her party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – failed to prove their allegation of certificate forgery and that Danladi was not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before contesting the election.

    “The reliefs sought are hereby refused. The petition stands dismissed in entirety,” Justice Ikeorha said.

    n Plateau State, security operatives have taken over strategic areas in Jos, the state capital, ahead of today’s judgment by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

    Our correspondent, who went round the Tin City, reports that heavy security presence was noticeable across the state capital.

    Supporters of main opposition APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in state eagerly await the pronouncement of the tribunal sitting at Jos High Court on Fidelis Tapgun Road.

    Police Commissioner Okoro Alawari met with youth leaders, members of the Nigeria Road Transport Workers (NRTW) and other stakeholders on the need to keep the peace before, during, and after the tribunal judgment.