The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) says the commission is over 90 per cent ready for the forthcoming Sept. 26 Local Government Council Elections in Enugu State.

ENSIEC had scheduled elections into 17 Chairmanship and 260 Councillorship positions in the state.

The Executive Chairman of ENSIEC, Prof. Christian Ngwu, disclosed this on Monday in Enugu.

Ngwu noted that the commission was already putting finishing touches on every other arrangement and training ahead of the polls.

“It is only few things remaining and we are finalising and putting finishing touches on them,” he said.

The chairman said that the commission had trained the trainers of the ad hoc staff, already advertised for the ad hoc staff, while their training would be coming in few days.

He said that “almost all materials for the elections are ready”.

Ngwu noted that the “non sensitive materials will be leaving ENSIEC headquarters in Enugu latest Thursday, Sept. 17, to council headquarters”.

According to him, the sensitive materials will be received and kept in a safe place for now.

“We will soon concluded arrangement with transport unions/companies to ensure adequate logistics facilities.

“The commission is already having a fruitful conclusion of security arrangement with security agencies in the state with the Nigeria Police as lead agency,” he said.

Ngwu said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would soon avail ENSIEC the authentic voters register of the state to work it.

“I am calling on residents of Enugu State to troop out en mass to cast their votes for their preferred candidates without fear or fear.

“ENSIEC will continue to provide a level playing field for all candidates in the elections.

“The commission will provide a conducive and secure environment as well as ensure a peaceful, hitch-free, transparent and credible elections come Sept. 26 in the state,” he said.

He said that the commission had pasted notice of election in local government areas, which contained awareness on how to vote correctly and positive behavioural conduct expected during and after casting one’s vote.

It would be recalled that candidates from 11 political parties would be participating in the polls.

ENSIEC had two weeks ago concluded train-the-trainer workshop for its officials, which included: 17 Electoral Officers (EOs) for each of the 17 council areas, 17 Assistant Electoral Officers, seven directors, five commissioner and an administrative secretary.

Hon. Chief Kevin Tobias Chukwu, the NDC candidate for the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has called on Nigerian leaders to rediscover the country by spending their vacations and leisure time within Nigeria.

Chukwu made the call while reacting to former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s position that Nigerian presidents should spend their vacations in the country.

He said the issue should be viewed beyond partisan politics, arguing that leaders must demonstrate confidence in Nigeria if they expect citizens and investors to do the same.

According to him, frequent foreign vacations by political leaders send the wrong message to Nigerians, particularly when the government continues to encourage citizens to invest in the domestic economy.

“We cannot continue to export our wealth and import our enjoyment while asking Nigerians to believe in Nigeria,” he said.

Chukwu suggested that a president could choose to spend holidays in tourist destinations such as Obudu, Yankari, Lagos, Enugu, Ebonyi, Plateau and Akwa Ibom, among others.

He said such visits would boost local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, transport operators, farmers, artisans and other small businesses, while also increasing public confidence in Nigeria’s tourism potential.

The NDC candidate also highlighted the security implications, saying a president who can comfortably spend time in different parts of the country would send a strong signal about the safety and viability of those areas.

“This should go beyond Peter Obi and beyond party politics. It is about a new culture of leadership,” Chukwu said.

He added: “If we truly want Nigerians to believe in Nigeria, those who lead Nigeria must demonstrate that belief themselves. Charity, they say, begins at home.”

The Director of the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Chief Okwudili Ohaa, has said the swift mobilisation of emergency resources by Governor Peter Mbah led to the rescue of five occupants trapped in a collapsed building in Enugu metropolis.

The uncompleted four-storey building, located along Ogbaru Street, by Alvan Ikokwu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday.

Ohaa told newsmen on Sunday that all five occupants of the building, as confirmed by the security guard on duty, were successfully rescued.

Ohaa

He said four of the occupants were rescued alive and conscious, although they sustained injuries, while the fifth person was rescued unconscious.

Ohaa commended Governor Mbah for his swift mobilisation of emergency response agencies, including the Red Cross, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Ambulance Services, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Other agencies and organisations at the scene included the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA) and a Chinese construction company, which provided four heavy-duty cranes.

According to Ohaa, the governor alerted him about the incident early Sunday morning, prompting the immediate mobilisation of officers of the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service to the scene with extrication equipment.

“His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, must be commended for also mobilising adequate rescue equipment such as heavy-duty cranes, bulldozers and excavators, which ensured the rescue of the five persons,” he said.

Ohaa explained that rescue officers initially relied on information from the security guard to determine how many people were trapped in the building.

“As rescue officers, what we did was to ask the security man how many people were here. He said there were supposed to be six. One person had left before it happened.

“So, we were able at that initial time to rescue four persons. Out of the four, two sustained minor injuries and they were all rushed to a health facility for proper checks,” he said.

The Chief Fire and Rescue Officer said the fifth person was eventually recovered unconscious and taken to a health facility by the Enugu State Ambulance Services.

The NEMA Information Officer in Enugu, Mr Nnanyelugo Ezeani, also confirmed that five people were rescued.

He said the situation could have been worse because the state government had earlier sealed the construction site.

“One person among the six residing in the collapsed building was not on the site at the time of the incident, while five others were rescued and taken to the hospital,” Ezeani said.

Speaking on the incident, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA), Mr Uche Anya, described the developer as one of those who failed to comply with building regulations.

Anya said the ECTDA had earlier taken regulatory action by sealing the site, which was originally approved in 2021.

“This property was approved in 2021 before the advent of this administration. But usually, we have a habit of stocktaking and checking on every construction at every stage.

“When I personally led the team that inspected here, we found out that there were serious integrity issues and non-compliance with their 2021 approval.

“I personally issued the first ‘stop-work order,’ which, due to the violation, resulted in our sealing the place over the last six months outrightly.

“So, I think within the last 30 to 40 days, the representative of the owner, whom they say lives abroad, has been interfacing with us to remedy the situation. This is the process that we are still trying to interface on, and it came down.”

Anya added that he had handed the owner’s representative over to the police to assist with the investigation.

“This is really a very unfortunate situation,” he said.

A four-storey building under construction in Enugu has collapsed, killing at least one person and trapping several construction workers beneath the rubble.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning at the uncompleted structure, reportedly being developed as a hotel, causing panic among residents and passersby.
According to authorities, six workers were believed to have been sleeping inside the building when it collapsed. Four workers have so far been rescued, while the body of one victim has been recovered.
Authorities said one of the six workers reportedly left the site shortly before the collapse, raising hopes that fewer people may be trapped beneath the debris than initially feared.
The rescued workers were taken to the Enugu State Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigerian Red Cross Society, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the police, are participating in the rescue operation.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been established, while rescue efforts continue at the scene.

The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chinedu Ogah, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to investigate the financial activities and source of wealth of socialite and businessman, Paschal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest.

Ogah, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, made the call on Thursday at a press conference in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The lawmaker said the businessman’s financial dealings should be subjected to scrutiny regardless of his public profile.

“I am urging the EFCC to thoroughly investigate him, investigate his bank accounts, investigate all the things he does,” Ogah said.

He also accused Cubana Chief Priest of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s political fortunes in the South-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ogah questioned the socialite’s claim to political influence in Ebonyi State and challenged him to make his membership card of the All Progressives Congress (APC) public.

The lawmaker further criticised recent comments attributed to Cubana Chief Priest on social media in which he reportedly called for the resignation of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru.

Ogah demanded that the comments be withdrawn and followed by an apology, warning that legal action could be taken if the businessman failed to comply.

“Who is Cubana Chief Priest? What is his address that gives him the impetus to speak against our governor, the most performing governor in Nigeria?” he asked.

According to Ogah, Cubana Chief Priest had no electoral mandate to speak on behalf of Ebonyi State or demand the resignation of its elected governor.

He also questioned the businessman’s political influence, noting that he had previously contested an election in Imo State but failed to secure the party’s primary ticket.

Ogah alleges plot against Nwifuru

The lawmaker further alleged that unnamed political actors were sponsoring campaigns aimed at discrediting the Nwifuru administration and weakening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

He defended the state’s security architecture, particularly the Commissioner of Police, Hope Okafor, against what he described as an orchestrated campaign for her removal.

Ogah urged the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to investigate those behind the alleged campaign and determine whether any law had been breached.

“All of us can attest to the peace and security we enjoy in Ebonyi State. The Army, the police, the Civil Defence and the DSS are doing marvellously well in Ebonyi State,” he said.

Lawmaker accuses Otu of mobilising protesters

Ogah also accused another critic of the state government, Charles Otu, of allegedly mobilising people from outside Ebonyi State to participate in a protest against the government in Abuja.

He claimed that some of those involved were presented as Ebonyians despite allegedly coming from other states.

Ogah said his lawyers had previously petitioned the DSS over allegations involving Otu and urged the agency to investigate the matter.

He also challenged Otu to substantiate allegations he allegedly made against him during an appearance on Arise Television.

“My own is that whosoever defaults the law, we take it legally. I cannot mention who I have not known. But when we get there, it is for the security agencies to investigate,” Ogah said.

Ogah lists Nwifuru’s achievements

Defending the Nwifuru administration, Ogah cited the state government’s scholarship programmes, school construction, road projects and other development initiatives as evidence of the governor’s performance.

He said hundreds of Ebonyi indigenes had benefited from postgraduate scholarships in Nigeria and abroad, while roads and schools were being constructed across the state’s 13 local government areas.

Ogah also praised Nwifuru for what he described as political tolerance, saying opposition parties had been allowed to operate freely in the state.

He argued that the people of Ebonyi should determine their political leadership through the ballot rather than through media campaigns and protests.

“Ebonyi people will choose who is their leader. They should stop using the media to castigate the governor,” he said.

Questions Nwifuru’s omission from Tinubu campaign council

The lawmaker also questioned the reported omission of Governor Nwifuru from President Tinubu’s campaign council, describing it as an error that should be corrected.

“How can a governor that has done much in APC not be included in the campaign council? How can a governor that is elected under the APC not be included?” Ogah queried.

He maintained that Nwifuru’s political influence and the APC’s electoral performance in Ebonyi made him an important stakeholder in Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

Ogah warned political actors against using the media to destabilise the state and urged all parties to pursue their grievances through legal and democratic channels.

The lawmaker, who is also the Ebonyi State Coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), was accompanied by other members of the group at the press conference.

He reiterated his call for security agencies to investigate the various allegations raised and take appropriate action against anyone found to have violated the law.