The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, on Wednesday alleged that some pilgrim boards have been involved in corrupt practices in the country.

Olukoyede stated this at the Inter-Religious Council meeting in Abuja and the public presentation of the commission’s inter-faith manual to religious bodies.

While speaking about past investigations carried out by the commission, the EFCC chairman spoke on how monies released by government for both Christian and Muslim pilgrimages were siphoned.

He urged Christian leaders to use their platforms to champion the anti-corruption fight, explaining that the moral dignity of honest living must return through preaching.

Olukoyede also underscored the importance of the inter-faith manual in addressing topical issues that affect religious adherents.

The EFCC, therefore, urged religious leaders to deploy their influence to sharpen the conscience of their faithful as part of Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.

The leaders of the two major religions in the country, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh, in their separate remarks, emphasis end the importance of fostering unity for a better Nigeria and leading the effort against corruption in the country.

The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, said the second edition of the anti-corruption preaching and teaching manual was developed through the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee of the EFCC.

He said the manual and facilitators’ guides were designed to assist Christian and Muslim preachers in communicating authentic religious teachings against corruption while promoting peaceful coexistence.

Omonokhua said, “No nation can flourish in the face of corruption at all levels,” adding that a religious leader involved in corrupt practices could not claim to uphold the teachings of his faith.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who represented President Bola Tinubu, said religious leaders and other stakeholders had a role to play in addressing insecurity and other challenges confronting the country.

Akume said violence, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and terrorism had left many Nigerians afraid, including parents who were reluctant to send their children to school.

He said religious leaders, traditional rulers and the government must work together to counter narratives of division and conflict.

The event was attended by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh; the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; former JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli; and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar El-Kanemi, among others.

The EFCC has previously identified engagement with faith-based organisations as part of its preventive anti-corruption strategy, including the development of interfaith manuals for Christians and Muslims.

•  Enugu Air CEO: Enugu becoming a gateway

The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has flagged off the first-ever international service by Enugu Air, describing it as a major milestone in his administration’s vision to grow Enugu State into a major aviation hub and make it the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living.

Speaking at a brief ceremony at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Wednesday, Mbah, who heaped commendations on the leadership of the state-owned airline for the fast growth of Enugu Air, said it was not an isolated story, but a part of connecting the dots as his administration strives to grow Enugu State into a $30 billion economy.

“Months ago, right here, we watched Enugu take to the skies. In just barely six months after a rigorous regulatory process, Enugu Air obtained her Air Operator’s License. This is not a mean feat.

“Today, 14 months after, we can see that dream flying beyond our expectations, as Enugu Air is one of the fastest-growing airlines in Nigeria, without a doubt.

“But we did not conceive of Enugu Air as a bragging right or because of the clamour, or to gain some political acclaim. Enugu Air is part of the masterplan to make Enugu State the premier destination for investment, living, business and tourism. For us, Enugu Air is part of connecting the dots,” he stated.

Mbah described Enugu Air as a campaign promise kept, saying the Enugu–Douala service was the beginning of many more international flight operations to many parts of the world.

“What you are seeing here today is performance above promises. So, we ask you to judge us by the things we have promised and have delivered to you.

“Besides, today is Douala, but I am hoping tomorrow, we are not only going to be talking about the continent of Africa, we will be talking about Enugu to the world,” he added.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu “for consistently demonstrating his commitment to aviation infrastructure and for the support he is also giving to the states to enable us to create businesses like Enugu Air,” commending also the Minister of Aviation and Aerodrome Development, Festus Keyama, SAN; and the agencies under him such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) supporting Enugu Air’s growth and making Nigeria a standard bearer in the African aviation industry.

Speaking, Enugu Air CEO, Capt. Tolu Ita, said Enugu Air was not merely launching a flight, stressing, “we are launching a new chapter.”

“This is a chapter in which Enugu is no longer simply where a journey begins or ends. Enugu is becoming a gateway.

“Today, much bigger than an aircraft will be moving across our skies. Opportunity will be moving. Business will be moving. People will be moving. Ideas will be moving. And Enugu will be moving with them. This is what makes today so significant.

“Enugu Air was never built with the vision to simply put aircraft in the sky. The vision was to build an airline that connects people, connects markets and connects possibilities.

“We began by strengthening our domestic network — connecting Enugu with Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Owerri, Asaba, Benin City and Warri.

“Today, we take our first major step beyond Nigeria. Enugu to Douala. Nigeria to Cameroon. The Southeast to Central Africa. And this is only the beginning.

“Our ambition is to continue building a stronger regional network across Africa, while progressively opening the door to wider international markets,” she said.

In growing Enugu Air, Ita reaffirmed the airline’s responsibility and commitment to authorities, passengers, and all stakeholders, upholding the highest operational and ethical standards.

In her goodwill message, the Managing Director/CEO of the FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, said Enugu Air’s inaugural international flight was “a strong statement of Nigeria’s growing capacity to connect7 people and businesses across West and Central Africa.”

Represented by Mrs. Onyeka Udenze, the7 FAAN DG said, “Akanu Ibiam International Airport now takes a firm step as a regional hub.”

While congratulating Enugu Air for the fast growth in 14 months, she assured that FAAN remained committed to providing the infrastructure, safety standards and support that make such services possible.

The DG of NCAA, represented by the Director of Air Transport Regulations, FAAN, Mrs. Olayinka Babaoye-Iruobe, said connecting Enugu to Douala directly represented would create opportunities for increased trade, investment, tourism, and movement of people, while strengthening social and economic ties between Nigeria and Cameroon.

In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Trade, Investment, and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, said the new service to Douala marked a monumental leap forward in the state’s trade, investment, and economic integration strategy.

“For decades, the vibrant traders, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs of Enugu and the broader region have navigated complex transit routes to access Central African markets.

“Today, that barrier is dismantled. This direct link directly advances our goal of transforming Enugu State into a premier regional hub for commerce and industrial development. We are now effectively bridging markets, shortening supply chains, and unlocking unprecedented opportunities for cross-border commerce across Central and West Africa,” he said.

The Maiden flight, which departed Akanu Ibiam International Airport in the early hours of the afternoon, touched down safely at the Douala International Airport where it was well received by the Cameroonian authorities in a brief ceremony before it returned to Enugu on the history trip.

…As SEDC, Enugu begin development of 200-Hectare Integrated Model Farm at Nomeh Unateze

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Tuesday, officially flagged off the South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP), a 200-hectare pilot integrated model farm by the South East Development Commission (SEDC) at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State.

The historic event, which marks a significant transition from planning to physical implementation by the Commission, was witnessed by the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh; Chairman of SEDC, Dr. Emeka Wogu; Managing Director/CEO of the Commission, Mr. Mark Okoye; Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, as well as traditional and community leaders and other stakeholders, and community members.

Speaking, Governor Peter Mbah, who was represented by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, described the project as an important example of what strategic collaboration between South East states and the Commission can achieve, particularly at a time when food production and economic diversification had become increasingly important.

He noted that the Agro-Development Programme fitted perfectly into the state government’s decision to build 200-hectare modern farm estates in the 260 wards of the state, saying the state’s investment in agriculture connects perfectly with other government projects and the commitment to eradicate poverty in the state by 2031.

“When we invest hugely in education, when we invest hugely in expanding our road infrastructure, when we invest in security, health, and transportation, it is to create access to enable investors and partners like the SEDC to have access to land, have access to development opportunities.

“History has also taught us all over the world that communities, states and governments that invest in agriculture with a geometric progression are able to migrate their people faster from poverty to middle-class economy. And what the South East Development Commission is doing today is an example of one of those efforts and the result we can get working together. But that is not more.

“So, we believe that this project can become an important part of the economic development of not just Nomeh Unateze and Enugu East Senatorial Zone, but the entire South East region within the context of Nigeria,” he said, urging the people of Nomeh to also own the project.

The Managing Director/CEO of SEDC, Mr. Okoye, explained that the project was deliberately designed as a development project to redefine how the region approaches agriculture.

“The South East Agro-Development Programme is about building productive capacity of the region. We want to demonstrate what agriculture can look like when land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and markets are brought together in one,” he stated.

Okoye said the project would ultimately be measured by its impact beyond the physical boundaries of the 200-hectare site, stating that the Nomeh Unateze project is intended as a starting point and practical template for the Commission’s wider agricultural and agro-mechanisation interventions across the five states of the South East.

“The real impact is what happens around the farm and beyond the farm. It is the young person who acquires a practical skill here and starts a farm elsewhere; the farmer who supplies maize or soya to the feed mill; the dairy farmer who gets technical support and access to a reliable market, and the smallholder farmer who is able to increase production because the ecosystem around them has improved,” he said.

He commended Governor Mbah for his visionary and proactive approach to governance, also expressing his pleasure at the uncommon level of buy-in and support so far demonstrated by Nomeh Unateze.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Momoh, said the objective of the project transcended mere food production.

“We must build an agricultural system that is productive, resilient and capable of creating value across the entire chain. We must produce. We must process. We must create markets. We must reduce post-harvest losses. We must improve productivity and incomes. And we must create opportunities for young Nigerians to participate meaningfully in modern agriculture,” he emphasised.

Chairman of the SEDC, Dr. Wogu, assured that the Commission would continue to work with state governments and other stakeholders to ensure that SEDC’s interventions complement existing development efforts.

“Regional development requires partnership. The Commission cannot and should not work in isolation from the state governments, communities, the private sector and development partners. Our responsibility is to create platforms that connect these stakeholders around opportunities that can generate sustainable economic value for the people of the South East,” he stated.

Speaking on behalf of the community, President General of Nomeh Unataeze, Dr. Chukwudi Anyianuka, described the project as a restoration of the glory of the community, assuring the total community support and ownership of the project.

“We welcome this project because we see it as an investment in the future of Nomeh and our people. Our community understands that a project of this scale requires cooperation, responsibility and a shared commitment to its success. We are ready to work with SEDC, the state government, contractors, investors, and all the partners involved to ensure that the project delivers the opportunities that our young people, farmers and community deserve,” he said.

Community leader and media aide to Enugu State Governor Mbah appreciated President Bola Tinubu for answering the age-long prayers of the people of the South East through the creation of the SEDC to coordinate and speed up the region’s development post-civil war.

“Now our place as the host of the pilot project of the SEDC is not lost on us. Because we play the politics of development, our gratitude will translate to votes for President Tinubu, our Governor, and the APC come 2027,” Anichukwu assured.

The Executive Director, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Rural Development (NRARD) at the SEDC, Dr. Clifford Ogbede, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to reviving the agro-industrial revolution that placed the defunct Eastern Region as the fastest-growing economy between 1954 and 1964, courtesy of the late Dr. Michael Okpara’s visionary leadership.