Interview

2023: Peter Obi would have been humiliated if he had remained in PDP — Hon Serguis Ogun

Published

4 years ago

June 25, 2022

INTERVIEW

Hon. Serguis Ogun is a two term, vocal lawmaker representing Uromi, Esan North-East/Q

The primaries are over and the country is now gearing towards the general election. Looking back, what were your observations?

For the two major political parties, the APC and the PDP, what turned out was a disgrace. Firstly, I don’t think there was anything wrong with section 84 (8) because we just copied the Electoral Act 2010.

Since 2010 till now statutory delegates have been voting, so where did the brain wave come from that we now said we will not allow statutory delegates to vote and we now have to amend it. It was not necessary because I think we were dabbling too much into the political parties’ affairs. These are areas that we should leave to the political parties if we really want them to deepen our democracy.

It is a shame that a lot of money was spent just for somebody to emerge and this is a country where we are borrowing for everything; borrowing to pay salaries, borrowing to subsidize petrol and yet we had that kind of money in circulation just to buy votes at that level.

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party was a member of your party just until recently when he left. Some people said he would have become the running mate to anyone who emerged as the presidential candidate if he had stayed.

You can’t be too sure that Atiku would have picked him because there was a rumour here and there that the Delta state governor sank in so much money. Maybe that deal was already closed before the day of the primaries. It is said that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. It is possible that the stew was already cooked before the real event took place but I don’t know.

There were speculations that Obi was forced to leave by the activities of some governors before the primaries.

It was a good thing he left. He was not going to be able to match Wike, neither was he going to match Atiku. He didn’t have that kind of war chest and this is a private businessman. So, serving in office is a public service and the office is a public office. So, why should you spend your entire savings, family savings to come and serve? He has the appeal.

He served as a governor and he showed to the world what he can do. So, why does he need to go and break the bank to become a candidate of a political party? People should be begging him to become the candidate because we can see clearly that he has the footprint to take this country to the height we desire for it to get to. So for me, I think he saw the handwriting on the wall and it was a good thing he left otherwise he would have been humiliated.

People say that Peter Obi has no structure and all those who are really campaigning for him are basically on the social media.

I believe that the structure will come. We need to know how TUC and NLC are standing because they are supposed to be a major party of the Labour party. Usually, when the NLC is on strike or they are picketing any establishment, you see the way they come out in their numbers. So, they have people.

They have road transport workers, they have the teachers and you can find this set of people everywhere. But I think we need to go and study how the Labour party works in England. It might not work like that here because we are emotionally attached.

It seems you believe in the candidacy of Obi and in his person too?
Yes, I do because I have heard him, I have listened to him and I have also read a whole lot about him and that is the kind of person we need right now in this country. It is just that most Nigerians don’t know how bad things are but we are in a big mess.

We are sitting on a huge deficit. We are borrowing so much as a nation and we cannot afford to have Champagne drinking, private jet flying president in this country again. Or the one that will allow his cronies to be flying private jets all over the world with borrowed money. We want a man who knows how to manage resources and he has proved this in a state for eight years.

So, who else do you need? I strongly believe in his candidacy and I believe he is the kind of person we need today, I don’t know about tomorrow.

Things get very bad and you have certain people that can turn things around. This is a man that can afford to say I am going to take a square meal because there are people out there that cannot even take one square meal, I will not sleep well if I am taking three square meals, going to bed with a full stomach when people are going to bed with empty stomach.

So, we should be begging such a person to come out to run for that office. So, If we can locate NLC properly in this sense, he shouldn’t have problems with structure. And you saw the EndSARS protest and we know that the young people can be very organized.

So, if they are determined because I am sure you recognized the fact that from the minute Peter Obi went to Labour party, the young people started trooping out to register and there is a frenzy now to get PVC. So, if they mobilize people like this, it is already a movement and that automatically will form the structure. So, which other structure are you looking for. If anything, he has more structure than any political party today.

About 178 lawmakers in the 9th assembly are not likely to make it back to the 10th House because they lost their tickets. How does that make you feel talking about the loss of institutional memory?

I feel bad because it is just a waste. We’ve had speakers here, they were very understanding. You will see first timers struggling to do certain things and they would patient with them knowing that they don’t know the procedures and they would guide them. So, you can imagine the torture.

If you have a house of 360 and you have almost, more than 300 as first timers, it is going to be a torture for whoever emerges as the speaker to guide them through that process. And then, to imagine that the bulk of them might not even come back in the next House, you know it tells of the signs of the time. It is not that most of our colleagues haven’t done well, you know people blame it on the fact that they only used adhoc delegates but I think there are so many other things playing out.

Unfortunately, what people have invested in this election, they will not get it back. A colleague told me that somebody running against him sold his house to run against him, a serving member. So, it is painful that we have to go through this route. Maybe someday the country will stabilize when we have good leadership. If anybody is seemingly doing well, buying houses and cars and splashing money everywhere, in government, in the civil service that person is a thief, you should go and investigate because there is no money in government.

The N100m cost of APC’s nomination form appears outrageous.
You see, that is what we cannot understand. This is a party that claims that when their presidential candidate, the current president, in 2014 didn’t have money to buy form, the people raised money to buy form for him. Seven years down the road, you are saying for anybody to contest, you have to pay so much. I thought this was supposed to be a progressive party. I thought this was supposed to be the party for the people. It is an aberration but this is what we have got use to in Nigeria.

On economy, how will you assess the government of the day seven years down the road?
I feel for the president. In the last few years, we went through COVID and then the invasion of Ukraine but I also think it is because of poor planning on our side.

What we are going through with subsidy today, if our refineries were working, we would have been making more money now. Companies like BP are celebrating what is happening because they are making big money from refining now because Russia, I think, used to contribute up to 40% of refined products globally.

So, now would have been time for us to make money but because of the poor planning in the past, we have not been able to benefit from it. The price of crude oil has gone up now in the international market and this would have been the time for windfall but it is not there.

We can’t even meet up with our own quota again because things have gone terribly wrong in this country. People are stealing the crude oil. How can you run a country like this and we are all supposed to accept that everything is okay. It is not okay. We must speak up.

Do you think APC has a chance of coming back?
Well with what is happening in Ekiti, I don’t know anymore. People are hungry and on an election day somebody offers you N10,000. It is a lot of money. In the city, people can look at you straight in the eyes and say look, I will not take this money from you but in the rural areas N5,000, N2,000 is a lot of money.

So, it is difficult for them to resist that. We have to do a lot of talking and sensitizing, conscientizing them to say look, you are selling your future. Just hold on a bit and do the right thing. Then over time, doing that right thing will materialize into liberation for you. So, that is where we need to be doing the talking today.

The national orientation agency should get involved because the earlier we stop this the better. If we really want to vote, I don’t see why APC will really get any vote.

In all the polling units, they should be scoring zero because their agent will even vote against them.

You once said that if PDP fails to zone the presidential ticket to the south, you will consider leaving the party.

Yes, I still stand on that.

Are you disappointed?
I am disappointed but that is why I am “OBIdient” right now.

Vanguard

Interview

Why I didn’t run for Governor in 2023 – Pastor Sam Iyiogwe

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

Tracking down Pastor Sam Iyiogwe, a former LGA Chairman and former SSA to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for this interview was as difficult as anything one can think of. At a time politicians are avoiding the press ahead the 2027 election Iyiogwe couldn’t help but accept when the issue of infrastrucural development of his people was mentioned.
As Nkanu East LGA Chairman, Iyiogwe, led journalists through neglected communities in his area where schools were scarce, chemist shops doubled as hospitals, and some areas lacked road access for decades. In Amankanu, residents recalled transporting pregnant women in wheelbarrows to distant health facilities.
Iyiogwe began opening up rural roads and improving access to services before Governor Peter Mbah’s election in 2023. In this chat with PETRUS OBI, he reflects on the situation of his people 10 years later.

Q: You initiated the development of abandoned communities in Nkanu East as LGA Chairman. You also canvassed for a Governor from that area. Are you surprised that you have no appointment in this government?

Iyiogwe:

Thank you so much; compliments of the season. Its a period we are celebrating the Liberation of mankind from sin through our Lord Jesus. I say Happy Easter in advance.

The issue is that in life God is in control. He is in charge of everything. Every politician deserve to be part of what is being done. If I answer your question directly…you are aware how Nkanu East used to be. When we came in we did our best. The issue in Nigerian system is that many of us coming into politics are actually supposed to be looking for employment in the ministries or companies. But we have turned politics into a place of becoming rich overnight. Many are not there because of the passion for their people. But as a person, what brought me into politics was the state of things in my area especially Amechi-Idodo, Owo, and Amankanu. Then I didn’t know much about Nkanu East. I used to think that our own side was so bad until I joined politics. Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, I can say was another person who because of him I was dragged into commitment to PDP and politics because of the attacks against him by some opposition, some of them our brothers. And God said to me, give him your support.

In this present government what I can say is that the number one thing which brought me into politics which happens to be our roads; because it was a disaster; it was as if we were not part of Nigeria. And God told me; you can do it. Today, the governor, God has used him to accomplish number one thing that brought me into politics. I didn’t join politics because I was looking for work, or contract or appointment, it was primarily to see how our area can be opened up. A situation where from January to December-year to year movement is a tug of war. Rainy season is out of it, you cant move, even on bicycle.

God also used me in due season to open it up and by His grace we were able to effect reasonable changes in every community of Nkanu East. And today the governor has completed 100%, of that thing that brought me into politics. And he did it in a bigger way. It’s a dual carriage way; all the way from the Enugu/Abakaliki Expressway, that’s Owo junction to Owo, up to Ubahu, Amankanu all the way to Neke, Ikem linking us to other part of Enugu North zone.

You remember we did a tour, I was the one as LGA Chairman that opened a road for a vehicle to enter Amankanu for the the first time. I remember the efforts to open up that road; I also remember the efforts to link up Amechi Idodo to Amagunze. In those days you pass through four local governments to come to our Council Headquarters. Today, the governor has also accomplished it; concrete bridges have been done across the Inyaba River, Idodo River. So whether I am holding a political position or not I am happy and very grateful to God and the Governor. I am also very happy that the governor appreciates the efforts put when I was a chairman. That i don’t have an appointment doesn’t mean that I am not part of the government. The governor listens to my words; he is my brother, we are also in the same party. He has respect for my words because I don’t present unnecessary issues. Whenever there is something I feel could affect the government or the people I usually pass it to him and I always see a response on his side. So whatever, the government has not ended, we still have over one year in his first tenure and his second tenure, by God’s grace is still there. The governor knows what he wants to achieve and the best people to use. Personally, I am happy and grateful to God and to him.

Q: Dont you think as one who had that foresight and zeal to develop your area, that working from the inside in this administration would be a good idea?

Iyiogwe:

Just as I said earlier, the governor knows the best people to use at any point in time. I also, in my lifestyle, I strongly believe in the will of God. That’s how God wants it. The most important thing is that the governor is doing much more than I expected when it comes to infrastructural development. In terms of transformation, unexpected projects are being done and I am happy. Not only that road, remember the road I opened from Godfrey Okoye University in Ugwuomu to some of our communities in Odobudo, Owachi, and Ndiagu Idodo Omulo Ubahu that linked up to Obeagu Ohuani Mbulu owo, the governor is also doing it.

There was a team we coordinated, the governor may not even know that I was involved; we connected ourselves together, I was the anchor point, we did a NEED assessment of connectivity of roads because one of the major problem of our people is roads; another is electricity. I remember during my time in Nkanu East through my connection with former Minister of Power Professor Bart Nnaji and Senator Gil Nnaji I was able to get electricity to about 16 communities through the federal government. So this road network was presented to him; also you remember I once mentioned that the governor did a NEED assessment where he sent people ahead of time to find out what the people’s needs are. If you go to that road we opened from Ugwuomu, you will come out at 17th Mile, Enugu/Abakaliki Road. As a Chairman I did about 100 box culvets within that corridor. Today the governor is reconstructing it with asphalt overlay. Honestly I am happy. I am grateful to him. I cannot thank God enough. I remembered lying down on various roads and junctions in parts of Nkanu East pouring oil, crying to God for mercy, breaking powers that said No, Nkanu East will not open up, ‘allow them to suffer for the sins they committed; the blood they shed.’ God intervened, because when you call upon Him genuinely He will answer. And today the rest is history.

Q: Generally, how would you rate the performance of Governor Peter Mbah?

Iyiogwe:

The governor is a very calm and organised person. He doesn’t make noise. He doesn’t talk much. People say he doesn’t see people, he doesn’t do this and that. The truth is, if you are really committed to governance you have little time for much receptions and all those things. I can tell you, I have never had a private audience with the governor. But most of the things I present to him are being actualized and I feel happy about it. What I can tell you is that Enugu State has gone much steps ahead.

I cried once when we had Economic Planning Commission Meeting during our own time under governor SullivanChime. Last year during the NBA Conference, I cried again. That was the first time I entered the International Conference Centre which was one of the things we prayed when Chimaroke Nnamani was governor that was not completed and I felt bad about that. Each time I passed there I will ask God, why has it not been done? Is it that He didn’t answer the prayer – because it’s not everything you ask that God will do. I remember how I took many ministers of God to ESUT when it was under construction and many other project sites and we prayed and the University was built and many other places. I kept asking, what was the problem of International Conference Centre? When it was completed with speed by the present governor I wasn’t around and when I came back I didn’t have the time to enter there until the NBA Conference last year. I was there and people around me were asking questions and commending our governor. I didn’t know when I started crying. Cry of joy and praise to God. I said God, you are so faithful. Apart from that, look at Presidential Hotel – My good boss, my oga, man whom I will never forget in life, I told my people and children the love he showered on me, former governor Sullivan Chime, he tried rebuilding the hotel but some factors came up that encumbered it.

If you go across Enugu State, I mean all the Local Governments; there’s none you won’t go with pride. During our time, Sullivan did excellently well. Grading of roads were not part of Sullivan’s approved projects. I personally had to request for it because of the state of Nkanu East. Sullivan believed in asphalt roads; if its 1km so be it, but not road grading- seen as a means of siphoning funds. For us in Nkanu East, we didn’t even have roads to grade. What we had to do was to use bulldozers to open the roads. Some of these roads the governor is doing now are part of the roads I opened up. I connected Mburubu community to Nkerefi Community. We opened up Amechi Idodo to Amagunze, crossed the Inyaba River. I trekked that road almost five times with my team praying asking God for intervention…I remember a day, I was outside the country they were trying to connect from Amechi-Idodo to Amagunze but the bulldozer spoilt. They brought another one it refused to work; they brought a third one, I said don’t worry I am coming back. I came back on a Sunday; from the airport we went to where the bulldozers spoilt, and I said don’t worry I am here. As I was praying I heard a voice saying, leave these people let them suffer, they shed a lot of blood. I said No, Jesus Christ has paid the price and you cannot continue to hold them bondage. I annointed the bulldozer, and said start it, and it started. This is not a fairytale, I have witnesses. We crossed the Inyaba River and opened up the road to Amagunze.

It’s not only in Nkanu East that the governor is working as there’s no ward in Enugu State that you cannot go with pride because of what the governor has done.

I don’t want to keep talking about the Smart School but I can tell you with pride that it is a Mini University. Some people say it’s waste of money, why not do three, one in each Senatorial Zone. That is not the dream of the governor; he believes that people in the rural areas should have light and life. And its being reflected in every community. Besides the governor is very economical in his projects costing. In Enugu State you don’t hear of anyone harrassing contractors for kickbacks. Such act is unacceptable in this government. Also Health Facilities are being built across the communities.

The roads are being done across every area in Enugu State. I am not talking about Enugu Urban but rural areas.

Enugu urban projects are going on everywhere. I was going to see a relative who was involved in an accident in Emene. I was with a small car, and I called for them to bring an SUV because I know how that area used to be. To my surprise, when I got there, the road had been tarred with drainages on both sides. I also started seeing other roads in Emene, of all places.

What is annoying me is that people in government, other than Barrister Josh and few others , are not letting people know the amount of work being done. Projects are going on everywhere. What about the road from Nike Lake Road to Opi, which he is dualizing? Some people may say, why not leave it the way Sullivan did it, but he believes in advancement. Sometimes you wonder how it will be completed, but before you know it, it is done. So the projects are all over the place.

Why I talk about Nkanu East is because it was total darkness. When I came, I put on the light, but the governor has amplified everything, and I am happy. I can tell you that the governor appreciates the efforts I made as Chairman because he mentioned it during a stakeholders’ meeting last month and also commended me personally.

Q: You mentioned crying twice. Please can you elucidate on that; what really happened?

Iyiogwe:

The one at the International Conference Centre was a cry of joy, a cry of praise to God, a cry of thanksgiving to God Almighty. It was also a cry of appreciation to the governor, Barr. Peter Mbah, for making the International Conference Centre truly international after so many years. Nobody believed it could be done. I had asked God several times, why? During Governor Chimaroke’s time, I used to bring different ministers of God to pray, and every other project was completed except that one. So it was a cry of celebration.

The other was at the Exco chambers, where we used to hold Economic Planning Commission meetings with the governor; where the affairs of the local governments were discussed and we collaborated with him. Each local government would review what had been done, what was to be done, and approvals would be given.

I packaged a proposal, it was a 70km road from Neke to Amankanu, Ubahu, to Owo, to the Enugu/Abakaliki Expressway, down to Amechi-Idodo, to Amagunze, then to Akpugo and Ihuokpara. Maybe because of my passion and hunger for transformation, I proposed that 70km road. It was not a small project, and nobody advised me that it was too much. The day it was presented, Sullivan said, “Pastor, 70km road? That is like going to Onitsha and back.” That was the end of the story.

I was heartbroken and I started crying. The irony is that none of my friends or colleagues came to encourage me. It was only the then Deputy Governor, His Excellency Sunday Onyebuchi, who came when he was passing. Everyone else had left, but I could not get up. I was crying and saying, “Lord, will our people continue to suffer this way?” He came to me and said, “Chairman, don’t worry, maybe you can present something smaller and it will be looked into.” That one was a cry of pain.

But I remembered the love Sullivan had for me, and I said, thank you Lord. Then I took up the road myself. We asphalted part of it so our people could have access, and we stopped after Owo which Governor Peter Mbah still remembers today. Even my own people from Ubahu were abusing and criticizing me, asking why I should go and build a road for Owo people. But I was guided by the Holy Spirit. A road that would benefit up to five communities, why should I do it for only one?

How would I have felt now if I had done otherwise, now that an Owo man is the governor? That is why today I am proud and always bold to present important issues to the governor with humility.

Another project I did was in Obeagu-Ohuani, Ubulu Owo. The road there was in a very bad condition. Today, they honour me and appreciate me because of what I did there. When I was a child, my father used to hold my hand and we would trek from my community to Owo for ceremonies. So when I became Chairman, I asked about the road, and when my aides showed it to me, it was a disaster.

I opened up the road, constructed box culverts and mini bridges about 14 of them along that corridor. I am happy the governor appreciates it. He is also building a bridge across the Idodo River in that area. I also built another bridge at Idodo River connecting Ubahu to Ndiagu Idodo Omulo, to Ohuani Obeagu Mbulu Owo, which leads to 17th Mile.

There is a Smart School being built there. But my people are about to be cut off. Children cannot attend the Smart School in Mbulu Owo from Odobudo, Owachi, or Ndiagu Idodo. They also cannot go to the one in Ubahu, or the one in Owo, because erosion has almost destroyed the bridge. The bridge is at the point of being washed away.

I have presented this to the governor, and he has sent his team to inspect it. This is the only appeal I am making to him to help our people so that we are not completely cut off. The children cannot be trekking about 25km to school. If that bridge collapses without a new one, we will be completely cut off.

Q: Upon all that is being done in Nkanu East, a lot still needs to be done?

Iyiogwe:

I remember telling you in an earlier interview in 2022 that Nkanu East will need a governor for about 16 years to address the problems of the area. This is because all the waters from Enugu State are discharged there. So when you get there, everywhere is waterways, and the area has been neglected for a long time. That is why it needs an Nkanu East person to become the President of this nation for us to be fully liberated. I don’t know how, but God can do it.

When people were asking me to run for governor in 2023, after my tenure as chairman, my ambition was to be governor, not for myself but for the people of Enugu. As time went on, we had a meeting in London where we set up a manifesto. But along the line, God said to me, “Be calm, just be calm.” There were other things He told me which are personal. I thank God I listened because it would have been a disaster if I had contested while my brother Peter was also contesting. Many people offered to buy the form and support me financially, but I told them, “Don’t worry, I am not interested.” I thank God that Peter Mbah emerged.

Honestly, I knew he would do well, but I did not expect him to perform at this level. The issue is that people do not know what is being done in Enugu State. That is why I am calling on our political team members to speak out. When things are done in your area, let people know. We are in politics.

Q: Sir, you were chairman from 2012 to 2016. What have you been doing since you left office?

Iyiogwe:

I worked for about six months with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s council as Chairman. After that, he appointed me as SSA on Water Supply, where I worked for his first three years and six months. After that, I returned to my business. Since 1993, I have been in private business. I took voluntary retirement from the Nigeria Customs Service. Now I am in my family business, where I travel from one place to another in a supervisory role. I am doing well.

Q: What business is that? Can you share with us?

We are into different kinds of business: construction, pharmaceuticals, labour supply, consultancy, equipment and vehicle leasing, interstate transportation, trading, among others.

Q: What are the chances of Peter Mbah in his re-election bid in 2027?

The truth is that 2023 and 2027 are two different scenarios. In 2023, many people were aggrieved within the ruling party in the state, the PDP. I do not like saying this because Ugwuanyi was my boss and he respected me. There was a position he intended to give me, but for some reasons, he changed his mind. Politics involves a lot of blackmail and misinformation, and I am not interested in those things. However, I believe I could have been useful to him. God showed me that position, and I believe I was pushed out of it. I could have contributed more.

Like I said, 2023 and 2027 are not the same. Many party members who could not secure tickets became angry and worked against the PDP. We were not able to manage the situation, and it was further affected by Mr. Peter Obi’s presidential influence, as many people were focused on producing the President.

There was also a lack of discipline. Commissioners and other political appointees joined different aspirants, and aides to council chairmen supported candidates without waiting for the governor and stakeholders to decide. There was no coordination or control. Normally, appointees should wait until the governor, after consultations, announces the candidate.

These were some of the issues that affected us in 2023.

For 2027, Peter has done a lot. It will be a disservice to the people of Enugu if we do not support him for a second term. I believe he will win, and win well. However, we should not take anything for granted. I also want to say that the governor has the interest of Enugu State at heart. He believes in development and is very committed to it.

Interview

“I’m Not Playing Victim; the Contractor Toshel Failed to Do the Job” — Aniagboso Michael Speaks on Jesus Bu Eze Plaza Dispute

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

Aniagboso Michael, a real estate developer and promoter of Jesus Bu Eze Plaza, has responded to allegations circulating on social media that he is playing the victim to damage the reputation of Mr. Tochukwu Nzekwe, Chairman of Toshel Company, and to avoid contractual obligations.
In this interview, with EverydayNewsNGR Aniagboso gives his account of the events surrounding the construction of the plaza located along Kano Street, Coal Camp, Enugu State.

Q: There are allegations that you are playing the victim to avoid fulfilling your obligations to the contractor. How do you respond?

Those allegations are completely false. I am not playing any victim card—there is no “victim card” here. The simple truth is that the contractor, Mr. Tochukwu Nzekwe, failed to execute the job he was contracted to do.
This is not about sentiments or social media narratives; it is about facts and contractual performance.
We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which both parties agreed that his company would fund and execute the entire asphalting project, valued at ₦118 million, covering approximately 5,500 square metres of the plaza.

Q: Can you explain the scope of the project and the agreement entered into?

The project covered about 5,500 square metres along Kano Street, Coal Camp. The agreement included construction of access roads, asphalt work, and the entire internal road network, including Silversmith Road.
The Bill of Quantities (BOQ) was prepared by his own engineers, reviewed by both parties, and mutually agreed upon. The total contract sum was ₦118 million, with a completion period of three months.
He undertook to handle everything—from clearing and laterite filling to asphalt work and landscaping.

Q: What went wrong during execution of the project?

After the three-month period elapsed, the project was nowhere near completion. One of the major problems was the use of obsolete and inadequate equipment—bulldozers, graders, and trucks that frequently broke down.
Materials would be brought to site, but work would stall for weeks. These delays seriously disrupted the project timeline. We held several site meetings and issued formal notices pointing out his failure to meet contractual obligations.
Despite repeatedly boasting that he had sufficient funds and equipment, the work did not progress. There were also constant disputes with his workers, drivers, and machine operators, which further slowed down the project.

Q: Was the project eventually completed?
Yes, but not by him. The project was originally scheduled for commissioning within three months. However, due to the contractor’s failure, I had to mobilise my own resources, lease equipment from other operators, and complete the remaining work myself.
The plaza was eventually commissioned on 4 March 2024 by the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, who was represented by his deputy, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai.

Q: Despite this, the contractor is said to be demanding full payment. What is your response?

That demand is unjustified. An independent assessment confirmed that he completed only about 10% of the total work.
Based on that assessment, we paid him ₦27.5 million, which was proportional to the work actually done. He demanded payment for 15%, but that entitlement was conditional upon full completion of the project. Since the job was abandoned, that condition was never met.
Instead, he allegedly began blocking the entrance to the plaza with heavy equipment and issuing threats.

Q: There are claims of police involvement and intimidation. What exactly happened?

Rather than resolving the matter professionally, he reportedly came to the site with police officers and other security personnel, instructing workers to stop work unless he was paid in full.
He reportedly took me to the police station, the DSS, and the EFCC. Subsequently, I experienced repeated harassment, including the presence of thugs at the site, intimidation of workers, vandalism of parts of the plaza, and threats to my personal safety.

Q: Did you seek legal redress?

Yes. I approached the court and filed a suit seeking an injunction to restrain him from further interference with the plaza. By that time, shops had already been sold and business activities were ongoing.
The court issued a statutory order recognising that M & B Company had taken possession of the plaza and that operations were ongoing under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement, which is for 25 years.
At the time, there were about 250 shops and 32 functional toilets in operation. Despite the court process, he allegedly continued to return to the site, boasting of influence and connections.

Q: What is the nature of the BOT agreement and the contractor’s role?

The BOT agreement was entered into with Enugu North Local Government for a period of 25 years. Mr. Tochukwu Nzekwe and his company have no contractual relationship with the local government.
I brought him in solely as a contractor to execute the asphalting project using his own funds, estimated at ₦118 million—as clearly stated in the agreement already tendered in court.
Under the BOT arrangement, the local government is entitled to 30% of revenue, while my company retains 70%. The contractor’s 15% entitlement was conditional upon full completion of the project and was to come from my own share of the revenue generated from park operations and gate tolls.

Q: You have raised serious concerns about your safety. Can you explain?

My greatest fear is that the Chairman of Enugu North Local Government, Hon. Ibenaku Onoh, has allegedly connived with the contractor to forcefully take over the plaza.
I have been barred from accessing a property I developed with my hard-earned money. I have received threats, including claims that my children’s movements are being monitored. Because of this, I have gone into hiding and no longer move freely within Enugu.
I allege that the plaza has been taken over, handed to individuals loyal to the local government, and revenue has been collected for months without reference to me, the developer.

Q: What is your appeal to the government?

I am appealing directly to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, to urgently intervene. I have always supported this administration and remain committed to its success.
If the local government doesn’t want to respect the MOU because of perceived personal interest of the chairman, it’s better the Enugu State Government assume full control of its management, ensure transparency, respect the BOT agreement, and allow me to recover my investment.
I am under severe financial pressure from creditors and cannot withstand further intimidation. My life and the lives of my family members are at risk. I am pleading for urgent intervention before the situation escalates further.

Interview

Gov Mbah Changing The Narratives, Politics in State Enugu — Anike

Published

1 year ago

May 8, 2025

Everydaynewsngr

PASTOR Beloved-Dan Anike, the chairman of Enugu East LGA, in this interview said that council fiscal autonomy is working well in Enugu State, adding that the metropolitan council is complementing the state government’s economic and social policies.
He asserts that Governor Peter Mbah is changing the narratives and politics Enugu State.

What has been your over 100 days experience as the council chairman of Enugu East Local Government?

It has been 100 days full of activities, trying to convert vision to realities, navigate the new environment and connect with the promises made during the campaign and maintain the social contracts with the people. Another influencing factor in the state is the kind of governor we have. Governor Peter Mbah is changing the narratives and politics in Enugu State such that if you’re a public officer, you must rate performance over politics. If you’re not ready to perform, then you won’t even be ready to navigate the scheme and see his break light. So he is a factor that makes everybody to be on their toes, especially the local government because he is working on every ward and so you have to match his strides.

How the grassroots felt his impact in 100 days

From the word go, we announced that we would introduce what we call City Charter which will not leave anyone behind. We will involve people to increase participation. We invited all communities, not wards, to conduct needs assessment and they stated clearly what they want. Our goals are clear, our major target is human capital development, upon which we now launch what we call the greater tomorrow scholarship for young students and also the One youth, one skill.

As part of the greater tomorrow scholarship, 50 students were selected from local schools and they migrated to major highbrow secondary institutions of private and missionary schools, just like a brand of the smart schools that are coming up in Enugu State.

About 1,750 students have been enrolled for WAEC of which about 70 per cent are non-indigenes, only 30 per cent are indigenes of the local government. We still have other educational programmes that are still pending such as the scholarships and bursaries for undergraduates. We have also declared that we want to train nurses as professionals in the health sector and education. These are purely targeted to support the state’s ongoing Primary Health Centres and smart school projects.

On infrastructure, we have commenced the construction of 1.4km road leading to the smart school in Ugwuomu, we have also commenced the construction of 1.2km road leading to a PHC centre at Emene, near Emenite. Drainage and earthworks are ongoing. On power, we said one Ward one transformer and we have 12 wards. So we have 12 transformers which we have distributed and are currently being installed and energized in various wards.

On public participation and open governance, we set up seven committees and I have received five reports of those committees. One was on the Needs Assessment of all our rural roads so as to match them with the state government’s vision of one ward 10km road. The state government has a 60/40 per cent infrastructure financing plan with the local governments, we are even saying if we can get 80/20 per cent rebate having seen the deficit we have on our roads.

Our former secretariat building covering over 3,000 square meters of land is being envisaged for the take-off of the Metropolitan School of Health Technology and Nursing, which we are working on now. We have written to the state government for provisional consent for us to proceed with that project. These are some of the projects under three months and in our budget this year, we are going to launch what we call Family Economic Empowerment Program (FEEP) and that will be a component of One youth one skill. We trained about 350 people in various skills and we have about 10 being trained in ANAMCO now in mechatronics. Some people have enrolled in heavy machines training.

They are being paid N70,000 monthly while on training and after one year of training, they will be engaged where they could earn about N500,000 per month. We received over 200 entries because most of our mobilisation and recruitment are done online. In fact, we have other offers from those who want to train people in China and people from even Niger State applied. Our target is human capital but beyond that, we have done foundation-laying for Type1 Public health centers in five communities of Neke-Uno, Obinagu-Nike in Ujudo, the one that is pending is in Nokpa, Ugbene II and Nkpologu. This is to complement the Type2 PHCs that are 12 ongoing in Enugu East Local Government. We look at communities that are far from places where those Type2 PHCs are located and we cite our Type1 Health centres.

On market developments, because we want to decongest Abakpa market, we’re looking at establishing neighbourhood markets in Ugbene II, Umuchigbo, Ogwuagor, and Ibagwa and two markets are already ongoing in Ugwogo – that is the Amankpaka market and the new Orie Ugwogo produce market.

To achieve this, in the next one month we are going to have an investment dialogue because our budget moved from about N5 billion to over N200 billion, which is about 400 per cent increase and it won’t be feasible if we don’t bring in critical investors in this journey. We want to create spaces and bring in investors who will bring in money to grow our economy.

What has been your experience on the fiscal autonomy of the local government councils?

Actually, the local government councils are in charge of their finances. Every remittance goes to the local government purse and every disbursement has been approved by me since September 2024 when I came in. It comes through the joint state account but it goes straight to the designated account of the local government and from salaries to capital expenditures, to overheads, recurrent and other economic commitments are done by the local government.

Does the state dictate to the local governments how the money is being shared or disbursed; does the state tamper with LG funds in any way?

No, I have told you that all money comes to us and we disburse the money according to our needs. There are obligations we have at the state level, I mean economic obligations like joint ventures with the state such as the 60/40 per cent on road construction and there are others like the 17 local governments coming together for whatever we want to do together; they are obligations on joint economic policies that benefit everyone.