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  • Lawyers advise Mbah against penalizing civil servants for adhering to IPOB’s sit-at-home directive.

    Lawyers advise Mbah against penalizing civil servants for adhering to IPOB’s sit-at-home directive.

    Lawyers caution Governor Peter Mbah against penalizing civil servants for their non-compliance with IPOB’s weekly Sit-at-home order in the Southeast region.

    Governor Mbah recently threatened severe consequences for government employees who fail to report to work on Mondays, citing the negative impact of the non-state actors’ directive on Enugu State’s economy and social fabric. However, the fear of potential violent attacks from IPOB members prevented many civil servants from attending work today.

    In a statement released in Enugu by the president of the Oriental Lawyers for Justice (OLJ), Mr. John Bosco Aninwede, and the secretary, Mrs. Ifeoma Ejike, the lawyers accused Governor Mbah of exploiting the fight against the banned group as a pretext to downsize the state’s workforce and vent his frustration towards workers amid widespread public dissatisfaction with his administration, which they deemed illegitimate.

    The civil society organization vehemently declared, “Mbah cannot escape accountability for his actions.”

    The lawyers questioned Governor Mbah’s expectation for workers to commute to their workplaces on a day when people in Enugu and other Southeastern states face routine and brutal killings by IPOB members, causing a delay in the emergence of commercial cyclists and vehicles until later in the day.

    Highlighting that less than 10% of Enugu State’s workers, including senior staff, own personal vehicles, the lawyers raised concerns about the practicality of commuting to work on foot over several kilometers, enduring varying weather conditions.

    The lawyers expressed their conviction that Governor Mbah, whom they labeled a prominent advocate of capitalism, seeks to significantly reduce the state’s workforce. They accused him of exploiting the pretext of combating insecurity to pursue his agenda under the belief that the workforce is excessively large.

    The group criticized Governor Mbah’s unfair attempt to link the failure of his fight against IPOB to civil servants who are unable to report to work every Monday.

    “Much as we have no sympathy for IPOB which has been spreading its message of hate with terror like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), it must be admitted that Mbah has been fighting the battle wrongly”, declared the lawyers.

    “It is unrealistic to expect workers to come to work in their numbers when there are no policemen or soldiers or members of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps or the secret State Service to protect them.

    “Worse is that the governor has no plans of providing buses for civil servants as a lot of state governments have done to cushion the effects of the acute economic crisis in the country”.

    The organisation threatened to cut down to size the “over-bloated ego of the state administration if it tampers with the means of livelihood of even one innocent civil servant in these very difficult times because they are not the cause of the failure of Mbah’s ill-advised strategy of fighting insecurity.

     “Nor are they the cause of the illegitimacy which defines his regime.

     “Mbah is a high public office usurper through and through, and the Enugu people can’t wait to see him out of Government House”.

  • Enugu Residents Continues Sit-At-Home Despite Governor’s Directive

    Enugu Residents Continues Sit-At-Home Despite Governor’s Directive

    Residents of Enugu State have defied the state government’s directives on the Monday compulsory sit-at-home order issued by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as roads, schools, banks, markets and other public places were completely deserted.

    The state governor, Peter Mbah had on June 1 declared “no more sit-at-home in Enugu,” effective Monday, June 5, asking individuals and corporate organisations to ensure full-scale business activities in the state.

    Mbah stated that his government would be ready to engage in dialogue with people who have genuine grievances so as to foster lasting peace and security in Enugu State, adding that the order dwindles creativity and productivity of the people.

    READ ALSO: Ondo Deputy Gov Denies Wife Assault Allegations

    It is not uncommon for residents in the state to wake up to stories of the untimely death of some who disobeyed the unauthorised sit-at-home order.

    It is however not clear if commercial activities will pick up before noon.

    The governor’s ban on the sit-at-home order came last Thursday with a call on President Bola Tinubu to release IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

    After his first security council meeting with the heads of all the security agencies at the Government House, Enugu State, Mbah told journalists that the sit-at-home declared in the South-East to press for Kanu’s release had impeded economic activities.

    “Consequently, from Monday, June 6, 2023, there will be no observance of any sit-at-home in all nooks and crannies of Enugu State,” he said on Thursday.

    Governor Mbah noted that his “government will enforce this with all the powers at its disposal”.

    While assuring stakeholders of dialogue, the governor urged Enugu residents “to take back our sense of industry, pride of place and re-enact our glorious past. By heeding this call, you would have set us on the path of actualising our mandate”.

    The ban was received the support of the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah; the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma; and the Enugu State Association of Presidents-General of Town Unions.

  • Scores killed as suspected herdsmen attack Enugu community

    Scores killed as suspected herdsmen attack Enugu community

    A yet-to-be-ascertained number of people have been reportedly killed in the troubled Ebor, Eha-Amufu community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State on Sunday by armed herdsmen.

    Security sources told our correspondent that the invaders who outnumbered the soldiers and local vigilantes, launched the attack on early Sunday morning, adding that several people were killed.

    “As I speak to you, we are combing bushes in search of the bodies of those killed. I can’t tell now the exact number of people killed.

    “From the report I received, the armed herdsmen and their collaborators from Benue State communities launched the attack around 5:30 am to 6 am this Sunday morning. Before we got there, several people have been killed.

    “We are just a few soldiers here and where we are based is a little bit far from the community. There are no other security operatives from other security agencies here in Eha-Amufu helping except the local vigilantes. They (vigilantes) first engaged them but the invading armed herdsmen outnumbered them,” a security source said.

    A community leader, who gave his name as Ogbuabor Samuel, confirmed the attack.

    “As I speaking to you, the invading armed herdsmen are still shooting. Several people have been killed, at least we have recovered the bodies of 10 people.”

    Blaming the local government chairman, whom he described as playing politics with the lives of Eha-Amufu because of the 2023 general elections.

    “The chairman of the Isi-Uzo local government area is playing politics with our lives. He didn’t want to tell the governor the true facts of what is happening in our community. He is not supporting the local vigilantes and other local security.

    “A few weeks ago, he dissolved all the local vigilantes formed by Eha-Amufu communities yet he hardly visit the affected communities. We need the government to declare a security emergency in Eha-Amufu, especially in Ebor, Umujiovu, Mgbuji and Agu-Amede communities. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi should do something drastic. His government should stop politicising the situation in our place.

    “They should stop fabricating stories that our people are collaborating in our situations. That is a fallacy and diverts attention from the real issues. Agala people in Benue State have joined forces with armed herdsmen attacking and killing our people every day. They have sacked several villages and occupied them. They have destroyed our people’s livelihood. Properties worth millions have been destroyed and those in political positions in Enugu State are playing politics with it?

    “Since these recent attacks started in October, we haven’t seen policemen. You can only see police if their commissioner is coming to witness the destruction. And when the commissioner goes back to Enugu, he starts dishing out false narratives. Where are the tactical squad and operational assets of the police he told Nigerians through the media that he had deployed to Eha-Amufu?

    “We want to know who the security agencies in Enugu State are protecting their interest. The invading armed herdsmen? Could it be that the security chiefs in Enugu State are in the state to give cover to armed herdsmen?” he lamented.

    Recall that the last attack on Ebor and Umujiovu communities on December 8, 2022, claimed 25 lives but the Enugu State Police Command told the media that only four people were killed.

    After that very attack, because it was inside Eha-Amufu town, people fled their homes. So many of them ran to neighbouring communities in Ebonyi State and some to the Enugu capital. So many have been forced into Internally Displaced Persons’ abodes.

    Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the attack although without details of casualty.

    The Command’s spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the latest attack to our correspondent in a text message, said, “sketchy report at my disposal shows that there was an attack. But the assailants were repelled by a Joint Police/Army team, that is currently trailing them.”

  • Gunmen kill APC Youth Leader in Enugu

    Gunmen kill APC Youth Leader in Enugu

    Lucky Okechukwu, a youth leader of the All Progressives Congress in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State has been killed by gunmen.

    Punch reported that Okechukwu was shot dead on Saturday night, October 8, in the Unadu area of the town.

    A chieftain of the party who confirmed the incident said;

    “Yes, it is true. I don’t know his real name but we received information that he was shot dead by gunmen last night. If the party want to speak on the incident, it will definitely be going to issue a statement on that.”

  • CP Orders Investigation o Burnt INEC Office In Enugu

    CP Orders Investigation o Burnt INEC Office In Enugu

    The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, Mr Abubakar Lawal, has ordered the State Criminal Investigations Department to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the cause of the fire outbreak at Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Office, located at Ogrute in Enugu-Ezike community of the LGA, at about 11 pm on 03/06/2022.

    In a release issued by the Police Spokesman in the state, DSP Daniel Ndukwe stated that “the fire, which was observed to have started from the back of the building, was put out by Police Operatives that swiftly mobilized to the scene on receipt of the information, with assistance from the personnel of Nsukka Office of Enugu State Fire Service, thereby averting further damage within the vicinity.”

    Reports gathered that the office of the INEC in Ogurute, Igboeze North Local Government Secretariat, Enugu State was burnt down by fire on Sunday night.

    Recall that recently the area had reportedly come under attack from gunmen, forcing the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led State government to impose a 6 pm to 6 am curfew in both Igboeze North and Igboeze South Local Government Areas.

    Heavy security operatives have also been moved to the area to check the invasion, although the attacks, however, had not stopped.

    It was gathered that out of fear, the State fire Service which has an office at Ogurute could not move in until security was provided.

    But by the time security was provided the fire had done much damage.

    However, both fire trucks from Nsukka and Ogurute were mobilized and reportedly fought the fire most of the night preventing it from spreading further.

    Lawal while assuring that the Command “will do all it can to unravel the cause of the incident and take necessary action,” urged residents of the area to support the Police with credible information and/or intelligence in the ongoing investigation.

    Meanwhile, the area has been cordoned off for preservation and further investigative action.

  • Gov Ugwuanyi signs N186bn 2022 Budget Into Law

    Gov Ugwuanyi signs N186bn 2022 Budget Into Law

    Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on Thursday, assented to the 2022 appropriation bill of N186,635,135,582.00 passed by the State House of Assembly on Wednesday, December 29, 2021.

    This was contained in a statement by the state government, which noted that 38 percent recurrent expenditure and 62 percent capital expenditure contained in the budget met international standards.

    The state Assembly speaker, Edward Ubosi, during the presentation of the appropriation bill to the governor, disclosed that the budget proposal was not contentious.

    The speaker said, “Looking at the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure which is about N36 billion, it shows that you (Ugwuanyi) are prepared to fulfill the campaign promises you made to the people of Enugu State.

    “Your Excellency, the budget was well packaged and we must commend you and members of your executive for that wonderful budget.’

    Assenting to the budget bill, Ugwuanyi appreciated the members of the State House of Assembly for their commitment and dedication to legislative duties as well as the development of Enugu State.

  • Makeup Artist found dead in Enugu after leaving home for a Job

    Makeup Artist found dead in Enugu after leaving home for a Job

    Days after she was reported missing, the body of the makeup artist has been found in Maryland, Enugu state.

    A young makeup artiste who was reported missing has been found dead in Enugu state.

    Ijeoma Neke, a makeup artist with Instagram handle @wake_n_makeup, was last seen on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, after she left home for a job.

    According to reports, she requsted to know the venue where she was to do the job but was simply instructed to meet the prospective client at a bus stop.

    After, the “client” picked her up and was taking her to the venue, she reportedly sensed something was amiss and texted the client’s number to her brother.

    That was the last she was heard from.

    When she didn’t return home after days, people took to Twitter to raise alarm and beg for help in finding her.

    Unfortunately, one day after the missing person’s posts began circulating, she was reportedly found dead around Maryland, Enugu.

    There are photos of a woman’s dead body making the rounds online with claims it’s Ijeoma’s body. There are also reports that her body shows signs she was bathed with acid.

    Friends are demanding answers and have tagged the Enugu State Police and the State Governor, asking them to investigate.