News
Umahi, Peter Obi have no issues, Commissioner…alleges fabricated lies against Gov
Ebonyi State Commissioner for information and State Orientation Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji has lambasted those allegedly sponsored to fabricate falsehood against Governor Dave Umahi.
In a statement made available to EverydayNews, the Commissioner condemned the publications “orchestrated by a group of political hirelings, including Paschal Oluchukwu of the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in Diaspora (AEISCID), Igboayaka O Igboayaka of Ohaneze Youth Council and Kabir Yusuf of Premium Times and Prestige News etc.
He accused them of being idly engrossed with sponsored motives of fabricating falsehood against the Governor with a view to “undermining his soaring leadership hallmarks in the last seven (7) years.
Barr Orji described the renewed orchestrations of falsehood against the Governor as a product of ill will that came as a political lashback on Umahi for championing the cause of national unity and South East mainstreaming in national politics, especially his commitment to the victory of APC in the 2023 Presidential Election
“Recent publication of Pascal Oluchukwu is one of the series of his infamous, disrespectful and unfounded fabrications calculated at running down on the person and policies of the Governor of Ebonyi State for not conforming with his clannish and divisive entreaties in his native community in Ebonyi State where he has been declared wanted by security agencies for his complicity in violent crimes and killings in the area.
“Since then, the said Pascal Oluchukwu has been operating fugitively and concocting melancholic and mendacious fictions against the person of the Governor and the institution he represents.
“The false political narratives chronicled in the publication of Pascal Oluchukwu shows that the great achievements of Governor Umahi has become an albatross of Pascal Chukwu that prevents him from living a normal life.
“The publication of Igboayaka O. Igboayaka is nothing but a clueless propaganda politically calculated to defraud the collective sensibilities of the gullible public on the actual state of security in Anambra State or any part whatsoever in South East.
“The uncoordinated narrative of his records of killings and unconscionable reeling of unfounded security reports indicting SARS of involvment in extra- judicial killings is as strange as a tale imaginatively recounted to curry cheap sympathy in desperation for political actualizations.
“It must be mentioned that Ebonyi State Government knows nothing about his rhetorics about the said crimes allegedly committed between 2004 and 2013 as the stories have no nexus with any incident of security breaches in any part of Ebonyi State or South East in the life of the Umahi administration.
“In his high sense of mischief and falsehood the said Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, tried to pitch our dear Governor against the person of His Excellency Mr Peter Obi, a Presidential candidate of Labour Party over the clear stand of Ebonyi State on the Political Platform of her choice.
“It is inviolately factual that Ebonyi State under Governor Umahi is APC solid and shall not leave any stone unturned in delivering Ebonyi State to APC come 2023. We have no personal matter with Mr Peter Obi.
“He is a friend of our dear Governor. If he were a candidate of our great Party, the APC we would have still been under obligation to vote for him. We can neither be cowed nor brainwashed into going to the dark age of senseless and fruitless tribal partisan alignment.
“We have moved to the party at the centre under the political principle of Umahism which is a resonation of Zikism, the Pan African model of modern nationalism.
“It is foolhardy, absolutely reprehensible and most unconscionable for the said Igboayaka to attempt to find fault in the clear stand of the Governor and the people of Ebonyi State over our preference for APC.
“We take exception to the blackmail of Labour revolution in South East, the linking of the activities of IPOB under Mr Simon Ekpa with our dear Governor. The Governor remains the strongest voice in the battle against banditry and violent agitations in the South East.
“We would rather hold that from Igboayaka’s indept knowledge of the groupings and inclinations of the ringleaders of violent agitations and banditry in South East, he should submit himself for security surveillance.
“For the records, Governor Umahi never made any allusion to the person of Mr Peter Obi in reference to his candidacy when he said that the people of Ebonyi State will vote APC.
“This decision to continue to build bridges is an irreversible conviction by the people of Ebonyi State, borne out of the need to take our destiny into our hands in our commitment to nation building as this is our sacrifice in launching South East to the mainstream of national governance.
“There is no going back in the stand of Ebonyi State on the ineffectiveness and insensitiveness of the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo over galvanizing advocacies for South East Presidency when it mattered most. It is not about Governor Umahi; it is about the sons and daughters of South East who were jilted by their people for a porridge of yam.
” It is about the failure of Ohaneze Ndigbo to galvanize the opinions of prominent Nigerians who spoke for fairness and justice to South East, whereas the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo went into hiding in honour of those who pay the piper from South East.
“We are also not unaware of the mischief sought by the online publication made in Prestige News and other online platforms by Yusuf Kabir.
“The allegation contained in the said publication is weighty as it is empty. Contrary to the information that Ebonyi State Government disbursed N400million COVID-19 funds for personal estate development of officials of the three arms of government in the State, the State Government never spent any COVID-19 grant(s) on any of such investments as blindly posited by these enemies of progress.
“The Government in furtherance of her welfare Programmes and in the implementation of the outcome of the Citizens’/Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2020 revised budget (effected as a response to the scourge of COVID-19) made welfare policies to different Stakeholders including, granting of facililties, taxes rebates, tax holidays and other forms of palliatives.
“The welfare funds which is a semblance of the Civil Servants N3billion Agricultural empowerment scheme earlier disbursed by the State Government before the advent of COVID-19 in 2020 is a welfare facility drawn from the State Government budgeted funds.
“It will be recalled that there had been similar welfare Programmes like that given as empowerment to the people of Ebonyi State. For the avoidance of doubt, the housing facility to the Public Office holders ( Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary) was never sourced or released from COVID-19 grants or contributions.
The Commissioner urged the public to discountenance the antics of frustrated politicians and their chronies “as their falsehood and deliberate attacks on the honest and germane views of our dear Governor on national issues is nothing but a sign of helpless frustrations.”
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.
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has urged youths in Enugu State to disregard the belief that federal government jobs and other opportunities are already allocated before they are advertised.
FCC Executive Chairman, Hulayât Motunrayo Omidiran, gave the charge on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, during the Peter Eze Enugu Youth Connect 2026.
Omidiran urged the youths to acquire relevant skills, embrace technology and actively pursue legitimate opportunities, stressing that federal character should promote both equity and merit.
She also warned against fraudulent recruitment schemes and advised applicants to authenticate employment opportunities before applying.
The Enugu State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, challenged young people to prepare themselves for available opportunities.
Onyia said government could create opportunities, but individuals must develop the capacity to take advantage of them.
The FCC Commissioner representing Enugu State, Peter Ogbonna Eze, said the programme was designed to bridge the information gap preventing young people from accessing federal employment, scholarships, grants, fellowships and training opportunities.
Eze said many youths were discouraged from applying for federal jobs because of the misconception that such positions had already been shared among influential individuals.
He urged them to apply whenever legitimate opportunities were advertised, warning that nobody should pay money to secure a federal government job.
He also disclosed that five participants in the programme would be selected for a full scholarship opportunity.
Eze said the initiative would continue as a platform for connecting Enugu youths with credible opportunities and urged participants to become “ambassadors of opportunity” by sharing useful information with others.
The event brought together youths and stakeholders from across Enugu State to discuss federal representation, employment, education, skills development and other opportunities.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has fixed Sunday, September 13, 2026, for its annual New Yam Festival.
The cultural celebration, which is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m., is being organised under the leadership of the Executive Chairman of Umuchigbo, Hon. Chief Afam Joseph Ogbene, popularly known as Akirika Chioku 1, Na Nike Kingdom.
The festival is expected to showcase the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the people of Umuchigbo and Umuenwene in Iji Nike Autonomous Community, while promoting unity and communal bonding.
Ogbene, in an invitation to the festival, described the celebration as an opportunity for the people to preserve their cultural heritage, strengthen community ties and give thanks for the year’s harvest.
He said, “Our New Yam Festival is more than a cultural celebration. It is a time for us to come together as one people, appreciate our heritage and give thanks for the blessings of the year.”
According to him, the event will also provide an opportunity for sons and daughters of the community, as well as friends and well-wishers, to reconnect and celebrate together.
“We are inviting everyone to come and celebrate with us. It is a celebration of our culture, our community and thanksgiving for the new yam season,” he added.
According to the invitation, activities will commence at Ogbene’s residence on Akirika Chioku Avenue, Nome Ogba Aniji Road, Umuchigbo, before proceeding to Obodoeze Iji Village Square, Odangene, for the New Yam rites and masquerade display.
The event will also feature traditional cuisine, music and other forms of cultural entertainment.
The organisers urged sons and daughters of Umuchigbo, friends, well-wishers and members of the public to join the community in celebrating the festival.
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