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Enugu Works Commissioner reads riot act to construction firms
…issues 20-day ultimatum on all ongoing projects
Following the directive of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State insisting that all ongoing urban road projects must be completed immediately, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Gerald Otiji, has read the riot act to all the construction firms, warning that failure to meet the deadline given to them would attract sanctions in line with the laws of the land and their contract terms.
• Enugu State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Gerald Otiji (third) with officials of some construction firms during the road inspection on Tuesday.
He, however, commended some of the engineering firms that had already completed their jobs. They include contractors that handled the Phone Village Road, Fire Service, New Haven Market Road, College Road, Dayspring/Lagos Street, Police College, Agbani Road, among others.
He said the governor was determined to ensure that all roads are connected to ease movement of persons and goods.
Speaking at the Premier Layout, Enugu, the Commissioner warned that contractors had no excuses for the delay in some of the projects since the government had already paid them.
“We are making it very clear that it is unacceptable to our government the slow pace at which some of these construction firms are going with their works. Even though they have been doing impressive quality job, we want them to double their efforts and deliver within time.
“I have just reminded them the consequences of not meeting up with the timeline pegged for them at the inception of the contract. We have paid them. So, they have no excuses to make.
“We will be tracking their progress daily because I have instructed them for daily report.
“Let me quickly commend those that have already completed their jobs. We have visited some of the roads, and both the government and the people of the state are impressed with the good jobs on the ground. We have been receiving feedback from road users and residents across the state extolling the projects.
“Gentlemen, you just witnessed my conversations with these contractors, and the ultimatum given to them. They have promised to commence doing these works both day and night. Don’t forget that the governor promised the people of urban renewal, access roads, ease of doing business through infrastructural revolution. That is what we are seeing today in the state.
“The governor has already declared a state of emergency on the area of infrastructure, and on our part, we must ensure the administration achieves everything contained in the Social Contract with our people,” the commissioner further said.
He called on the people to join the governance process through monitoring the process activated by the government by ensuring they report acts of sabotage, vandalism and suspected attempt to subvert the peace of the state through any of the channels of communications made available by the government.
When Mbah flagged off construction of 71 urban roads…
He said: “As you know, we will not be able to go to all the roads one after the other to flag off the construction, but this is consistent with the promise we made to the people of Enugu, and also consistent with the contract we executed on our first day of office to deliver a people focused governance. For us, this is essentially what the government is designed to do; to bring governance closer to the people and to provide infrastructure.”
He said the first phase of the project would cover 26 square kilometres comprising the Happy Island, the Vitality Bay, and the Innovation Park in line with the purposes the New City is to serve.
Also flagging off the construction of the 40km Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu- Neke-Ikem dual carriageway, the governor said the new government was bent on constructing at least 10,000km of roads in the next eight years to open the space for investors and make life better for Enugu people.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed that there are two main reasons a former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, is being detained by the commission.
It also revealed that legal action was taken against the Enugu-born politician after he failed to honour several invitations extended to him through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, and dated 15 May 2026.
John Odey, the spokesman of the commission in a statement on Wednesday explained that the commission later approached Federal High Court, Abuja Division, with the suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026) in order to effect Nnaji’s arrest after his failure to honour invitation.
Nnaji was arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, when he boarded a private jet to Abuja.
Corroborating the development, the ICPC spokesman said Nnaji’s arrest was effected at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrival where he was led to the commission’s custody immediately.
According to him, Nnaji is being probed on forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and False National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
The statement read, “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji (M), following the execution of a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“The arrest was effected on Wednesday, 1st July 2026 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon Mr. Nnaji’s arrival.
“He was apprehended with the assistance of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently handed over to the ICPC for further investigation.
“The Commission had earlier extended formal invitations to the former minister through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, dated 15 May 2026.
“The invitation notices were duly served to his known addresses in Abuja and Enugu, as well as via his electronic mail address.
“Despite service through multiple channels, Mr. Nnaji failed to appear for investigative interviews on the scheduled dates, necessitating further legal action.
“The legal action followed a court order granted by the Federal High Court in the Abuja Judicial Division (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026).
“The order, issued on 11 June 2026, directed the ICPC to arrest the former minister to enable investigation into allegations bordering on:
“Forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); and “False National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
“Following the arrest, Mr. Nnaji has been taken into custody at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, where investigations are expected to continue. The Commission assures the public that the matter will be pursued diligently in accordance with the law.”
The immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Enugu via a chartered flight.
Authoritative sources at the airport confirmed the arrest to PREMIUM TIMES, saying Mr Nnaji would be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation.
The reported arrest comes weeks after the Federal High Court reportedly granted the ICPC permission to arrest and investigate Nnaji over the allegations.
The court also authorised the anti-graft agency to declare him wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels after the commission alleged that he repeatedly failed to honour invitations for questioning.
According to the ICPC, its application to the court followed Nnaji’s alleged refusal to appear before investigators despite several invitations relating to the forgery allegations.
The case stems from a two-year investigation published by Premium Times in October last year, which alleged that Nnaji submitted forged University of Nigeria degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process in 2023.
The report alleged that the documents were presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the State Security Service.
According to the publication, Nnaji later acknowledged that the University of Nigeria did not issue him the degree certificate in question, a development the newspaper said corroborated its investigation.Newspapers
The former minister had previously denied the existence of the court order authorising his arrest, dismissing the publication as a “media trial.”
However, on June 18, he reportedly filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the arrest order.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued an official statement confirming the reported arrest, while Nnaji’s legal team had yet to publicly respond to the latest development.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, restored the bail it had earlier granted to activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore is facing a two-count cybercrime charge filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) for calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in a social media post.
Trial Justice Muhammed Umar, who had earlier granted the defendant bail on self-recognisance, on June 16 revoked the bail and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The order came after Sowore failed to appear before the court for the continuation of his trial, even though he wrote a letter explaining his absence and requesting a new date.
When proceedings resumed in the case on June 22, Justice Umar ordered the remand of the defendant in Kuje prison.
Dissatisfied with the actions the court took against him, Sowore—whose legal team had initially withdrawn from the case over alleged bias by the judge—secured a new lawyer, who promptly filed a motion to restore his bail and quash the arrest warrant.
When the case came up on Tuesday, Justice Umar held that he was minded to admit the defendant to bail.
However, the court listed some conditions that had to be met before he would be released from prison custody.
Aside from granting him bail to the tune of N200 million, the court held that the defendant must produce two sureties in like sum.
The court also ordered the defendant to surrender his international passport.
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Sowore, in the application he anchored on Sections 35(4), 36(1), and 66 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Sections 169 and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, insisted that the orders the court made against him were unjust and unwarranted.
The defendant had, on December 2, 2025, pleaded not guilty to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The charges allege offences under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The offending posts, made on August 25, 2025, were in response to President Tinubu’s claim, made in Brazil, that his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria.
Angered by the posts, the DSS demanded that X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. ban Sowore’s accounts and remove the posts.
The security agency also wrote to Sowore, asking him to delete the posts from all platforms.
Non-compliance with the request led to the charges.
The prosecution claims the defamatory posts were intended to cause a breakdown of law and order and to tarnish the president’s reputation.
Exhibits include printouts of the posts and the DSS letters.
X Inc. and Meta were initially co-defendants but were delisted in the amended charge.
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