The member representing Enugu North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Chimaobi Sam Atu, has flagged-off the completion of the 1.3-kilometre Ndafufa-Ugwuaji–Obeagu Link Road to further open up Enugu metropolis.

The project is part of a phased intervention aimed at improving road connectivity and opening up communities within the constituency.

The first phase covered the Ayo Open Space–Ndafufa Ugwuaji, while this second phase will cover Ndafufa Ugwuaji – Obeagu link road. The third phase is expected to extend to the Obeagu–Obinagu–Obeagu Amechi link road.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony on Tuesday, Hon. Atu emphasised the critical role of road infrastructure in driving economic growth, enhancing connectivity and improving the quality of life of residents.

He explained that the third phase of the project would capture adjoining communities, including Obinagu and Amechi, further expanding the network of accessible roads across the area.

According to him, it is another milestone in the drive towards infrastructure development in Enugu North and South Federal Constituency.

Responding, the President-General of the Obeagu Ugwuaji Town Union, Chief Freedom Obi, expressed the community’s excitement over the project, describing the intervention as significant to the development of the area.

Obi also commended Atu for the quality of work executed during the first phase.

Speaking on the technical specifications and timeline of the project, Engr. Ikechukwu Okorie of Ideas Construction Limited, assured that the earthworks and double-drainage system would be completed before November 2026.

Okorie, who is the engineer in-charge of the project, said: “The road is designed with a standard width of 7.5 metres (in-to-in).

“It will have a dual-drainage system to facilitate effective water flow, protect the road and enhance its durability.”

The completion of the project is expected to strengthen connectivity between Ugwuaji, Obeagu and neighbouring communities, while facilitating the movement of people, goods and services and stimulating economic activities within the area.

By Chinedu Sabastine

ENUGU — The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has called for a shift from confrontational labour relations to strategic collaboration between organised labour and government.

The National President of the association, Comrade Shehu Mohammed, made the call at the South East Zonal Workshop of ASCSN in Enugu, where public sector stakeholders, union executives and government representatives examined emerging challenges in industrial relations and public service efficiency.

Mohammed said the workshop marked a turning point in the history of labour relations in Nigeria, stressing that modern public administration required dialogue, data-driven advocacy, collective bargaining and mutual respect.

According to him, “true progress for the Nigerian worker is no longer achieved solely on the streets through friction, but at the round table through data-driven advocacy, mutual respect, collective bargaining and strategic alignment.”

He identified three key pillars for effective labour-government collaboration: supporting a robust public service capable of funding workers’ welfare, engaging government early before disputes escalate, and equipping workers with modern administrative and negotiation skills.

The ASCSN president urged participants to approach management disputes with institutional solutions rather than immediate ultimatums, saying negotiation should produce outcomes that benefit both government and civil servants.

He commended Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as transformational leadership in Enugu State, particularly his efforts to transition the state from a public-sector-driven economy to a private-sector-driven one.

Also speaking, the Enugu State Head of Service, Dr. Godwin Chinonso Anigbo, said the civil service remained the bedrock of governance, given its critical role in policy formulation and implementation.

Anigbo said changing times required both labour and government to abandon win-lose approaches and embrace solutions that would serve the interests of all parties.

He urged organised labour to move beyond reliance on strike ultimatums, while advising government to avoid what he described as “judicial ambushes” in industrial courts as a means of frustrating legitimate union demands.

The Head of Service disclosed that the Enugu State Government had established a Public Service Training Institute to promote policy research and build institutional capacity.

He also challenged civil servants to take ownership of government policies and their implementation, warning against the traditional mindset that “Soldier go, soldier come, barrack remains.”

According to him, “if governance fails, both the policymakers and implementers have failed.”

In a goodwill message, Mrs. Ndidiamaka Oke, who represented the Controller of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Enugu State, said collaboration remained the most effective approach to resolving contemporary challenges in the public service.

She said, “Collaboration does not mean abandoning your legitimate rights. Collaboration rather means giving workers opportunity for constructive dialogue.”

Oke stressed that constructive dialogue would enable labour and government to resolve disputes while strengthening industrial harmony and improving public service delivery.

She commended ASCSN for providing an intellectual platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, experiences and practical solutions, expressing confidence that the workshop’s outcome would deepen cooperation between government, management and organised labour.

OSOGBO — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the outcome of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that it is not convinced that Governor Ademola Adeleke secured the highest number of valid votes.

INEC on Sunday declared Adeleke the winner after the Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, announced the final results at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo.

Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.

However, the APC said it would not accept the declaration without conducting a comprehensive review of the electoral process.

Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Monday, the Director-General of the APC campaign for the Osun governorship election, Hon. Oluwole Oke, said the party had commenced an audit of the results and electoral materials from the poll.

Oke said the party had directed its agents across the state to submit relevant result sheets for scrutiny as it investigates alleged infractions.

“We need to do the needful which is to evaluate the process, review the process and then form an opinion. We’ve embarked on an audit process; we’ve asked all our party agents to submit copies of Form EC8A, B, C to our secretariat for review. We need to inspect all the materials because we do not agree with the declaration of INEC, and that’s our position for now,” he said.

The APC campaign chief also dismissed suggestions that the party was under pressure to immediately accept the outcome following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s congratulatory message to Adeleke.

Tinubu had congratulated Adeleke after the declaration, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the people.

Reacting to the President’s position, Oke said Tinubu spoke in his capacity as President and a democrat following INEC’s declaration.

“Mr. President spoke as the Father of the nation and a democrat following the declaration by INEC,” he said.

Oke, however, maintained that the APC would rely on its own assessment of the election after completing its review.

“We’re on ground and politics is local and, like I’ve told you, what we’re doing is to conduct a thorough review of the entire process and form an opinion,” he said.

He added that the party would not be rushed into congratulating Adeleke, insisting that its preliminary position was that the governor did not secure the highest number of valid votes.

“We won’t be under any subtle pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke because we believe he didn’t score the highest valid votes,” Oke said.

The APC is expected to determine its next course of action after completing its audit and reviewing the electoral materials and results submitted by its agents.

ABAKALIKI — The 2027 governorship race in Ebonyi State is gathering momentum, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, unveiling a package of reforms aimed at improving the welfare of workers, teachers and retirees.

Odii made the commitments during a meeting with representatives of Ebonyi civil servants and members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at his Lagos residence, where he outlined his plans for a comprehensive reform of the state’s public service.

A major component of his agenda is a workers’ housing scheme designed to provide 1,000 housing units within his first year in office and up to 5,000 units over four years if elected governor.

Odii said the housing programme would be structured to minimise dependence on direct government funding, with workers’ contributions and existing pension assets forming part of the financing framework.

He said the initiative would address the housing difficulties faced by workers and retirees, particularly retirees who often struggle to sustain rented accommodation after leaving government service.

The PDP candidate also proposed a paperless digital loan platform that would allow workers to access loans against their contributory pension savings without the bureaucratic delays associated with the existing system.

On retirement benefits, Odii pledged that workers would have access to their entitlements immediately upon retirement, arguing that retirees should not endure prolonged delays in receiving benefits accrued during their years of service.

He further promised to reform the promotion process through computer-based promotion examinations capable of producing results instantly.

According to him, the digital system would reduce delays, curb opportunities for manipulation and promote greater transparency and fairness in the career progression of civil servants.

Odii said the proposed reforms were aimed at creating a public service where workers would have improved access to housing, credit facilities and timely retirement benefits, while ensuring a more transparent promotion system.

He presented the proposals as part of his broader agenda to improve workers’ welfare and reposition the Ebonyi State civil service for greater efficiency if elected governor in 2027.