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Good Governance: Nwoye Harps on Prudent Management of Public Funds, Engagement of Competent Hands
A Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (IPCDS), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Dr. Ben Nwoye, has emphasized the need for managers of public institutions, especially government-owned establishments, to prioritize prudent management of resources and the engagement of competent personnel.
Nwoye also stressed that placing qualified and capable individuals in positions of responsibility remains one of the surest ways to achieve good governance and sustainable development in any society.
The former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State and current Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party made the remarks on Monday during a good governance facility tour to the remodeled Government Technical College (GTC), Enugu, alongside PhD students of IPCDS.
He commended Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for the transformation of GTC Enugu under the leadership of Dr. Amaka Ngene, Chairman of the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), noting that the institution has been transformed from a dilapidated facility into a modern learning centre.
According to Nwoye, the visit was aimed at assessing the progress made since a similar tour of the school in 2025.
He described education as the bedrock of national development and stressed the need for governments to continue investing heavily in the sector.
“The massive transformation that has taken place at GTC Enugu would not have been possible without prudent management of resources and the appointment of capable leadership,” he said.
“When we first visited, what we saw were merely buildings and classrooms without teachers or students. We were also shown videos and photographs depicting the terrible state of the institution before the intervention of the Enugu State Government.
“Today, barely a year later, we have returned to see whether the state-of-the-art facilities have become functional, and we are impressed by what we have seen. There are teachers, students, and fully operational departments.
“This success is largely due to the quality of leadership driving the school board. The desired transformation has truly taken place, and this goes beyond politics. It is about commitment, competence, and prudent management of public funds.”
Nwoye noted that the beneficiaries of the reforms are young people whose lives are being positively impacted through quality education and vocational training.
“We must commend Governor Peter Mbah for providing the enabling environment and resources needed to achieve this. More importantly, we must acknowledge the efforts of the Board Chairman, Dr. Amaka Ngene, who has driven the entire process.”
He added that practical examples such as GTC Enugu provide valuable learning opportunities for students studying governance and leadership.
“The challenge in our country is not the absence of laws but our failure to implement them. Previous boards allowed this institution to remain in a deplorable condition. What we are seeing today demonstrates what is possible when competent individuals are entrusted with leadership responsibilities.”
Nwoye expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the tour, stating that his students were impressed by the level of transformation witnessed across the institution.
“It is gratifying because when we teach governance principles in the classroom, we can now point to practical examples where those principles are being applied successfully. Sustainable development can only be achieved when education is treated as a priority,” he said.
Speaking during the tour, Dr. Ngene attributed the board’s achievements to a fortified database system, zero tolerance for corruption, truancy, and absenteeism, as well as a commitment to accountability and efficiency.
She also praised Governor Mbah for his commitment to education, describing the ongoing reforms as an education revolution in Enugu State.
According to her, the state’s investment in education has surpassed the UNESCO recommendation of 15 to 20 per cent budgetary allocation to the sector.
“Over the last three years, Enugu State has consistently allocated an average of 23 per cent of its budget to education, reflecting the governor’s commitment to human capital development,” she disclosed.
During the facility tour, the visiting students inspected several functional departments, including the automobile repair workshop, welding and fabrication unit, computer laboratory, garment-making section, and hospitality and catering department.
The facilities provide practical vocational training for senior students, equipping them with employable skills and entrepreneurial opportunities for the future.
Dr. Ngene maintained that Governor Mbah’s administration has demonstrated the impact of good governance through strategic investments in education and human capital development, adding that the results are already evident across the state.
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) yesterday commenced the implementation of its South East Agro-Development Programme with the flag-off of a 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East, Enugu State.
Designed as a regional development intervention rather than simply a farming project, the initiative will integrate dairy, poultry, fisheries, fodder production, mechanisation, processing and practical agricultural training, while connecting surrounding smallholder farmers to inputs, technical support and markets through an out-grower programme.
The project reflects SEDC’s broader mandate to strengthen productive capacity and create sustainable economic opportunities across the South East, while aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, agricultural productivity, mechanisation, value addition and job creation. The Nomeh facility will serve as a pilot for developing and replicating similar agricultural interventions across the five states of the region, with the broader objective of increasing food production, strengthening agricultural value chains and enabling more people to participate in modern agriculture.
This is a summary of what happened yesterday. They can rewrite it to gain traction according to their audience
IBADAN — Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has denied claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided ₦50 billion to the state for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport, Ibadan.
Makinde made the denial on Tuesday while addressing supporters and stakeholders at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina.
The governor said the Federal Government did not give either him or the Oyo State Government ₦50 billion for the airport project, insisting that the ongoing expansion and rehabilitation works were being financed entirely by the state.
“My attention was drawn to an interview granted yesterday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, where he said that the President gave N50 billion to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport to international standards,” Makinde said.
“I want to say that claim is false. The President did not give me or Oyo State N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”
Wike had made the ₦50 billion claim during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, saying the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government had supported the Oyo airport project.
The disagreement centres on the source and nature of funding for the airport’s ongoing upgrade.
Public records from Oyo State indicate that the state had previously identified the Ibadan Airport expansion as one of the projects to be financed through its infrastructure funding plans. The state government has also said that its airport proposal received presidential approval without financial obligations being placed on the Federal Government.
However, the competing claims by Wike and Makinde have not, so far, been accompanied by publicly released financial documents conclusively establishing whether a ₦50 billion Federal Government allocation or transfer was made specifically for the airport project.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s emerging political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Makinde seeking the presidency on the APM platform while Wike remains a serving Federal Government minister.
Further clarification from the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, or relevant financial and aviation authorities could help establish the precise source and amount of funding committed to the Ibadan airport project.
Two days after reports circulated online that the Umuahia Premier Club, Umuahia Branch had endorsed the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha for a second term, the Club has debunked the report, describing the purported endorsement as unauthorised and a departure from its non-partisan traditions.
In a rejoinder issued on Sunday and signed by its Branch Chairman, Premier Ako Obioma, and Branch Secretary, Premier Chuka Agomoh, the club said its attention had been drawn to a purported endorsement of a candidate contesting for elective political office on the platform of a particular political party.
The leadership said the club is, by its founding philosophy, a socio-cultural, non-partisan and unifying organisation established to foster fraternity, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, cultural solidarity, and the collective advancement of its members and communities.
“It is therefore not the character, tradition or mandate of the Club to adopt or endorse partisan political candidates,” the statement read.
The club said the purported endorsement constituted a significant departure from its established traditions and ethos, warning that it could generate avoidable disaffection, suspicion, and division among members who are entitled to hold divergent political preferences.
“It is acknowledged that the candidate purportedly endorsed is a member of the Club and is entitled, like every other citizen, to participate in the political process and pursue his legitimate political aspirations. However, membership of the Club cannot, in itself, constitute a basis for transforming the Club into a political platform or committing the collective identity of the Club to the political ambition of any individual member,” the statement said.
The club clarified that the gathering held on Sunday, September 20, 2026, was convened as its monthly general meeting and not as a political meeting or a forum authorised to deliberate upon and endorse a political candidate.
It noted that the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Legal Adviser, and four National officers from the branch were reportedly absent from the meeting, adding that the circumstances under which the purported endorsement was made required careful scrutiny.
“It is particularly disturbing that the meeting took place at the residence of the candidate concerned, thereby creating circumstances in which his political associates and party supporters were able to take advantage of the gathering to introduce and advance a partisan agenda that was neither part of the scheduled business of the Club nor sanctioned by its leadership,” the statement read.
The club further said a considerable number of those present were either relatively new members or persons not yet sufficiently conversant with its established procedures and conventions.
“In view of the foregoing, the purported endorsement, to the extent that it purports to represent the collective position of the Club or its Branch, is hereby expressly repudiated, condemned and declared unacceptable,” the statement said.
It warned that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any member found to have deliberately misrepresented the position of the club, acted without authority, or brought its name into disrepute.
The club also reiterated that only the Chairman, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer are authorised to issue or circulate official publications on behalf of the club or the branch, adding that the Secretary and PRO must obtain the requisite approval of the Branch Chairman before issuing any official publication.
“Therefore, anyone who circulated or posted the purported endorsement should as a matter of urgency pull it down immediately,” the statement directed.
The club declared all publications, statements, endorsements or communications already circulated in connection with the purported endorsement as null, void, and of no effect, advising members and the general public to disregard them.
It called on members to remain calm, exercise restraint, and refrain from any action or publication capable of exacerbating the situation, stressing that the club’s unity, integrity, and continued cohesion remain paramount.
“Our political affiliations may differ; our cultural heritage unites us. Our individual political ambitions may vary; the collective interest of our Club and our clans must remain sacrosanct,” the statement concluded.
Enugu Air has launched a new official website, moving its online services to www.enuguairlines.ng.
The airline announced the development in a statement informing passengers and customers of the change, describing the new platform as a safer and more convenient digital channel for accessing its services.
Announcing the migration, Enugu Air said: “We’ve moved! We’re innovating! We’ve migrated to a better, safer and convenient website to connect you to the world.”
According to the airline, the new website will serve as its digital platform for flight bookings, schedules and operational updates.
Passengers and prospective travellers can now visit www.enuguairlines.ng to book flights, check schedules and access the latest information about the airline’s operations.
Enugu Air urged customers to save the new web address and use it for all online flight-related services.
The airline stressed that the change would not affect its identity or services, stating: “Same Enugu Air. New web address.”
It also warned passengers that its former website, enuguairlines.com, had been discontinued and was no longer in use.
The airline therefore advised customers to use www.enuguairlines.ng for its current online services and flight-related information.
The Enugu State House of Assembly, on Monday, called for urgent government intervention following a landslide that cut off Ugwueme and Nenwenta communities in Awgu Local Government Area from other parts of the state.
The Assembly urged the Enugu State Government, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ecological Fund to urgently mobilise resources to address the situation and restore access to the affected communities.
The landslide, which occurred on September 18 following torrential rainfall, reportedly blocked the road linking the two communities, forcing residents to pass through neighbouring Abia and Imo states to access other parts of Enugu State.
Moving a motion of urgent public importance, the member representing Awgu South State Constituency, Hon. Anthony Nwankwo, said the disaster had paralysed movement and made emergency response difficult in the affected communities.
Nwankwo also revealed that a family of four reportedly died after a collapsed overhead water tank crushed them, leaving only a four-year-old child who was subsequently rescued.
He lamented that the victims might have been rescued alive if the road leading to the communities had remained accessible.
Nwankwo therefore urged the Assembly to prevail on the relevant authorities to urgently clear the road and restore access to Ugwueme and Nenwenta.
“I move that the House do write the relevant authorities to intervene to open the road leading to Ugwueme and Nenwenta,” he said.
Supporting the motion, lawmakers expressed sympathy with Nwankwo and residents of the affected communities, describing the incident as a serious natural disaster requiring immediate intervention.
Members representing Ezeagu, Nkanu East and Oji River State Constituencies, Hon. Chima Obieze, Hon. Okey Mba and Hon. Osita Eze, respectively, also urged residents to avoid constructing buildings close to hills and engaging in indiscriminate excavation of soil and stones.
They warned that such activities could worsen the risk of landslides.
The lawmakers, however, stressed that government agencies should immediately mobilise resources to clear the affected road and restore access to the communities.
Assembly Confirms Civil Service Commission Nominees
Meanwhile, the Assembly screened and confirmed the appointment of a chairman and four members of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission nominated by Governor Peter Mbah.
The nominees are Prof. Gabriel Ajah as Chairman; Christian Mbah, Member 1; Mrs. Stella Ekweremadu, Member 2; Mrs. Emmanuela Uzonna Ogarabe, Member 3; and Mrs. Theresa Ifeanyichukwu Onyefuzili, Member 4.
The nominees were subsequently confirmed after the lawmakers found them qualified for the positions.
They were asked to take a bow and leave without undergoing prolonged screening after presenting their curriculum vitae and professional records to the Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of the nominees, Ajah pledged that punctuality and discipline would be central to the commission under his leadership.
“We shall lead by example. We must be punctual to work,” he said.
Before his appointment, Ajah had served the Enugu State Government in various capacities, including 19 years as Permanent Secretary and 14 years as Dean of Permanent Secretaries.
He also served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), among other positions.
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Landslide: Enugu Assembly Urges Urgent Intervention in Ugwueme, Nenwenta