News
Enugu East Council Boss Named NUJ’s Best LGA Chairman for 2025
…attributes achievements to Gov. Mbah’s leadership
Engr. Pastor Beloved-Dan Obi Anike, Executive Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, has been named Best Local Government Chairman of the Year 2025 in Enugu State by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The Union said the award recognises his “inclusive, innovative and transformational governance model,” which has positioned Enugu East as one of the state’s most progressive councils.
Speaking after receiving the honour, Anike dedicated the recognition to Governor Peter Mbah, saying the council’s achievements were made possible by the governor’s clear policy direction. “Our achievements are a reflection of the governor’s exceptional leadership. His disruptive innovation agenda provided the framework that made all these reforms possible,” he said.
In the last one year, Enugu East LGA has undergone major administrative and developmental reforms that have created a more responsive, data-driven and community-focused governance system.
Anike’s administration is guided by a framework that combines inclusion, innovation, institutional strengthening and transformation, all aligned with Governor Mbah’s vision of a more livable and economically vibrant state.
At the centre of the council’s development approach is the Family Economic and Empowerment Programme (FEEP), which integrates governance inclusion, community empowerment, human capital development, social protection and public health improvement.
The chairman explained that FEEP has helped the LGA organise development “not as isolated activities but as a coordinated system with measurable outcomes.”
These efforts have attracted national and international recognition. Enugu East placed second in Nigeria in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Mayors Challenge, placing the council on the global innovation map.
The World Health Organization also honoured the LGA in May 2025 as the Best Performing LGA in Primary Healthcare in the South-East. In addition, the council pioneered Nigeria’s first Inclusive Governance Charter, which has strengthened transparency, accountability and equity and is now referenced as a national model.
Under Anike’s leadership, community inclusion has expanded significantly. The LGA institutionalised participation through engagements with communities, youth groups, women, traditional institutions, faith leaders and development practitioners.
This process later led to the establishment of the Human Capital Development Trust Fund. The council sponsored WAEC fees for 1,700 students for the 2024/2025 session and has already begun registration for the next academic year. It also registered and trained over 200 women’s cooperatives for a revolving loan scheme aimed at strengthening family economies.
The LGA’s scholarship and bursary schemes have supported thousands of young people. The Greater Tomorrow Scholarship granted full awards to 150 students in both junior and senior secondary school categories, selected through competitive examinations.
Another 1,000 undergraduates benefited from the bursary programme, while 15 medical and technology students received sponsorship at Maduka Onyishi University. Seven law students also received support in 2025, alongside five students supported for international studies. In youth skills development, more than 400 young people have completed training in ICT, welding, upholstery and heavy-duty operations, while 100 others graduated from aviation-related training at the Universal School of Aviation in Lagos.
Health protection has also expanded, with 5,000 people, especially women of childbearing age, the elderly and the urban poor, enrolled into the health insurance scheme. In land governance, the administration established the Land Mediation and Verification Centre, which now handles land rights protection, conflict resolution and fraud prevention across communities.
The council has also recorded significant progress in infrastructure delivery. Fifteen transformers have been installed and energised, while 60 kilometres of community access roads have been graded.
In addition, the LGA delivered 12.4 kilometres of inter-community roads with drainage channels, including a mini bridge linking parts of Ugwuomu, Emene, Ibagwa, Eziama and Umuchigbo. Three new Type-1 Primary Health Centres were constructed in Neke Uno, Nkpologwu and Obinagu.
The Ugwogo–Amankpaka Ultra-Modern Market has been completed, while several neighbourhood markets are progressing through public–private partnerships.
Anike’s administration has also strengthened peacebuilding and institutional stability. The Land Mediation and Verification Centre continues to resolve disputes quickly, offering communities a reliable avenue for justice and minimising tensions in areas previously prone to conflict.
On social welfare, the LGA has rolled out programmes that support vulnerable households. Ten thousand women benefitted from the One Woman, One Wrapper initiative, while a festive distribution of 10,000 bags of rice to households is being planned. The council has also introduced an Elders Welfare Package and institutionalised an Advisory Council to support development decisions.
Reflecting on the progress so far, Anike maintained that the achievements recorded in Enugu East are a direct outcome of Governor Mbah’s leadership philosophy. “Governor Mbah gave us the clarity, the confidence and the policy direction to be bold and innovative. Enugu East simply followed his footsteps to deliver results,” he said.
With these reforms, Enugu East LGA has become a leading example of inclusive and innovation-driven local governance in Nigeria.
For Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, Monday was supposed to be another routine day of duty. Instead, the Nigerian Air Force pilot lost his life in the crash of an ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, barely 16 days after his wedding.
Man-Ugwueje had married Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle on September 19, 2026, in an elaborate ceremony in Abuja.
The couple exchanged vows at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Masters Place, Utako, Abuja, before proceeding to the Nigerian Army Conference Centre, Asokoro, for the reception.
Details of the wedding were contained in the couple’s invitation and posts shared by vendors who participated in the ceremony. A videographer, Beejay Creates, also shared footage from the event, identifying the couple as bride Damilola and groom Ahamefule.
Man-Ugwueje, who was identified by the Nigerian Air Force as the co-pilot of the ill-fated aircraft, was among the five crew members and 20 passengers who died in the crash.
The aircraft, NAF 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in a swampy area around Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday confirmed that all 25 people on board died in the accident and released the names of the victims.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the incident as a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the nation, while commiserating with the families, friends and colleagues of the victims.
The Air Force also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Man-Ugwueje, whose Facebook profile listed Umuahia, Abia State, as his hometown and Abuja as his current city, was the son of retired Group Captain Man-Ugwueje.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said no survivor was found after security agencies, emergency responders and local residents joined the search for victims at the crash site.
Aiyedatiwa said he was informed of the crash at about 10:30am on Monday after receiving a call from the chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area.
According to the governor, residents across the river from the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda heard a loud sound and subsequently saw the aircraft plunge into the swamp.
He said Navy personnel initially exercised caution while trying to determine whether there was a fire or explosion before moving towards the crash site.
“When they noticed that it’s just an accident, they didn’t see any sign of fire. So they moved in, trying to see if they could rescue the people,” the governor said.
Personnel of the local emergency management agency, residents and members of the Amotekun Corps later joined the rescue operation.
However, the search ended in tragedy after authorities confirmed that there were no survivors.
A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos crashed into a swamp in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday after reportedly disappearing from radar shortly after take-off.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, lost communication with air traffic controllers at about 9:13am. A senior air traffic controller, who spoke anonymously, said repeated attempts to re-establish contact with the aircraft failed.
According to the source, personnel around Okitipupa later reported hearing a loud bang suspected to have come from the crash site.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that the aircraft had disappeared from radar and that all efforts to raise it on radio were unsuccessful.
He later announced that the wreckage had been located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Keyamo said 32 people—25 passengers and seven crew members—were on board.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed the crash, saying the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos and that search-and-rescue operations had commenced in coordination with relevant authorities.
The crash site, located in a swampy creek, proved difficult to access, with military personnel, emergency responders and local fishermen joining the rescue operation.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said no survivor had been found as of Monday evening, although the authorities had yet to officially announce a death toll.
The governor said rescuers recovered parts of the aircraft, identification cards and military uniforms from the site.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sadness over the incident and directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage, flight path, weather conditions, maintenance records and air traffic control communications. Efforts were also being made to recover the aircraft’s flight recorder, which could provide crucial information about its final moments.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has disclosed that no survivor has so far been found following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
Aiyedatiwa made this known during an interview with Channels Television on Monday, saying local residents, security personnel and emergency responders had searched the crash site without finding anyone alive.
The governor said he received information about the incident at about 10:30am after the chairman of the local government contacted him.
According to him, residents living across the river from the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda heard a loud sound and subsequently saw the aircraft plunge into a swampy area.
He explained that personnel of the Nigerian Navy initially stayed back to determine whether the crash had triggered a fire or explosion before proceeding to the site.
“When they noticed that it’s just an accident, they didn’t see any sign of fire. So they moved in, trying to see if they could rescue the people,” Aiyedatiwa said.
He added that officials of the state emergency management agency, local residents and personnel of the Amotekun Corps later joined the search and rescue operation.
“But from the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment. They could not see any living soul that was in that aircraft,” the governor said.
Aiyedatiwa said searchers recovered parts of the aircraft, including pieces of the wings, identification cards and military uniforms, which helped establish that the aircraft was a military plane.
“But they saw the ruins, some of the wreckage from the wings of the aircraft, you know, some ID cards, I was told, and then uniform. That was when they knew it was a military aircraft,” he said.
The governor described the incident as a painful development, noting that the crash occurred not only in Ondo State but also in his home local government area.
“So it’s a sad situation today. And we’re all really, really agreed as a Nigerian. And also it happens in my own state, not just my state, even in my own local government where I’m from,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa expressed sympathy for the military personnel involved, describing them as officers assigned to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Air Force had earlier confirmed that an ATR-42 aircraft with tail number NGR 931 crashed in Igbokoda while on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft.
The Nigerian Air Force said search and rescue operations were ongoing following the crash.
“If You Have Evidence Against Stanley Mbam, Charge Him; Otherwise, Release Him” — Oganiru Izzi
A socio-cultural organisation of Izzi extraction, Oganiru Izzi, has challenged Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, to either release the state’s sacked Commissioner for Works, Mr Stanley Mbam, or charge him before a competent court if the government has credible evidence of wrongdoing against him.
The group said the continued detention of the former commissioner without a formal charge raises concerns about due process, constitutional rights and the rule of law.
The leader of Oganiru Izzi, Mr Godwin Mbam, made the demand while speaking with correspondents of National Issue Newspapers at the Crack Department of the Ebonyi State Police Command in Abakaliki.
Mbam condemned what he described as the prolonged detention of Stanley Mbam without allowing a court to determine whether he had committed any offence.
He challenged the state government to produce evidence if it believes the former commissioner committed a criminal offence.
“If there is credible evidence against him, charge him to court and let the court decide. If there is no case against him, he should be released,” Mbam said.
He also appealed to the Ebonyi State Police Command to uphold the Constitution and resist any pressure that could result in unlawful detention.
Vanco Flyover: “We Will Reveal the Full Details”
Mbam also issued a three-day challenge to Governor Nwifuru, declaring that if the former commissioner was not released or charged to court, his organisation would make public what it described as the “full details” of the Vanco Flyover project.
According to him, the proposed disclosure would address issues surrounding the project, including its funding, payments, contractual arrangements and other financial details.
“We will let the world know the full details of the Vanco Flyover and how the funds were utilised,” he warned.
He further challenged the state government to demonstrate transparency by making relevant documents concerning the project available to the public.
“What About the Alleged ₦1.5 Billion Forfeiture?”
The Izzi group also questioned what it described as the selective application of the state government’s anti-corruption campaign.
Mbam referred to allegations involving an account reportedly frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and an alleged ₦1.5 billion forfeiture to the Federal Government.
He questioned why, according to him, the governor had allegedly not taken similar action if the facts surrounding the matter warranted it.
Mbam stressed that he was not opposed to the fight against corruption but insisted that any anti-corruption campaign must be comprehensive, transparent and applied equally.
“If Governor Nwifuru wants to fight corruption, let him fight it holistically. Nobody should be targeted while other serious allegations are ignored,” he said.
“If Nwifuru Says He Knows Nothing, We Will Produce the Facts”
Mbam further challenged Governor Nwifuru to publicly state whether he was aware of alleged corruption issues within the Ministry of Works.
“If Nwifuru publicly claims that he is unaware of corruption in the Works Ministry, I will make public the facts available to me. The facts will shock the state,” he declared.
He insisted that the matter should not degenerate into a political vendetta, arguing that the appropriate place to determine criminal liability is a court of law.
According to him, the people of Ebonyi State deserve clear answers concerning the Vanco Flyover and other issues involving public funds.
“Everybody Should Be Subject to the Law”
The Oganiru Izzi leader maintained that the controversy should be resolved through transparency, documentary evidence and due process.
“If there is a case, charge him. If there is no case, release him. The government cannot claim to be fighting corruption while abandoning the principles of justice and the rule of law,” he said.
Mbam warned that failure to address the issues could compel the organisation to make further disclosures concerning the Vanco Flyover and other matters it considers to be in the public interest.
By Our Correspondent
As Nigeria celebrates its 66th Independence Anniversary, the candidate for the House of Representatives seat representing the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, Hon. Chief Kevin Tobias Chukwu, has called on Nigerians to remain hopeful and committed to building a better country.
Chukwu, also known as Ochiri Ozua 1 of Amagu Ikwo, made the call in an Independence Day message to Nigerians, particularly the people of Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency and Ebonyi State.
He described the anniversary as not only a moment for celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the state of the nation and the responsibilities of leaders in building a Nigeria that meets the aspirations of its citizens.
According to him, Nigeria’s journey since independence has been marked by significant challenges, with millions of citizens currently facing economic hardship, while young people continue to search for opportunities and many communities contend with insecurity and uncertainty.
Despite these challenges, the Ebonyi politician said the resilience of Nigerians remained a source of hope for the country’s future.
“I believe in the resilience of our people. I believe in the ingenuity of our youths, the strength of our women, the wisdom of our elders and the determination of ordinary Nigerians who wake up every morning and refuse to give up on this country,” he said.
Chukwu, however, stressed that hope must be matched by responsible leadership, arguing that public office should be viewed as a responsibility rather than a privilege.
He called for leadership that prioritises the protection of lives, creation of economic opportunities, provision of infrastructure, strengthening of institutions and responsible management of national resources.
The candidate also emphasised the need to create an environment where young Nigerians can pursue successful lives within the country and where hard work, merit and enterprise are rewarded.
He said Nigeria had “come too far to surrender to hopelessness,” urging citizens and leaders alike to remain committed to the country’s progress.
“A better Nigeria is still possible, but it will require responsible leadership, accountable institutions and citizens who refuse to give up on their country,” he said.
Chukwu concluded by expressing optimism about Nigeria’s future, declaring: “Nigeria will rise. Nigeria must rise. And together, we must build the Nigeria we deserve.”
He also paid tribute to the nation’s past heroes, praying that their sacrifices would continue to inspire the country.
“May the labour of our heroes past never be in vain,” he said, as he wished Nigerians a happy 66th Independence Anniversary.
-
News1 day agoNo Survivor Found Yet in Ondo Air Crash — Aiyedatiwa
-
News3 days agoSacked Works Commissioner: Release or Charge Him to Court, Oganiru Izzi Challenges Nwifuru
-
Politics1 day ago2027: Odii Will Not Step Down, Says Spokesperson
-
News23 hours agoHow NAF Plane Vanished From Radar Shortly After Take-Off, Crashes In Ondo Swamp
-
Crime3 days agoPolice Deploy DIG, Two Commissioners to Rescue 20 Abducted Prospective Corps Members
-
EverydayNews Telescope23 hours agoNkalagu Cement Factory: Project or 2027 Political Promise?
-
Crime7 hours agoCourt Denies Alleged Fake Pastor Bail as Seven Witnesses Await Trial
-
News7 hours agoNAF Crash Claims Pilot 16 Days After Wedding