
News
Our investment drive in agriculture lifting our people out of poverty, Mbah tells IFAD
…as IFAD AVP lauds governor’s efforts at programme sustainability
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has said the investment drive of his administration over the past 9 months in office had started to lift poor citizens out of the pit of poverty through government’s deliberate efforts and determination.
The governor disclosed this while receiving the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Associate Vice President (AVP), Dr. Donal Brown, and members of his team who were on a working and inspection visit to the state in Enugu on Wednesday.
This was even as the AVP lauded the governor for his vision of sustaining the IFAD programme, saying the key success to the project is sustainability.
Mbah, who expressed appreciation to the United Nations’ specialized agency for the assistance and intervention the state had been receiving in the area of agriculture, said his administration was determined on ensuring that agriculture is seen as a low hanging fruit for the people of the state and one of the easy routes of escaping poverty.


He explained that the programme of IFAD was of immense benefit to the people because of its objectives which target rural and smallholder farmers who are the main producers of the daily food being consumed in the country.
“Just as I have noted earlier, on the desk where we are, we may forget the link and the role the smallholder farmers and rural farmers play in the economy. But if you do all the high-level policy formulations and the rural farmers are not accommodated, you will always miss the link. It is the aggregation of rural farmer holdings that come up to your GDP, and when you measure them back in the lives of our people, you will see that it is huge,” the governor said.
He stressed that through the right support and intervention, rural farmers and smallholder farmers are now able to meet their financial needs such as the payment of school fees for their children, aceess to maternal healthcare and savings.
“We look forward to a more robust relationship with you because experiences have also shown that we must work towards improving what you have done. And I know that your resource is not elastic, that at some point you’re going to stop the programme, and we must sustain it to ensure seamless continuity and even improve on what you’re leaving behind. So, we want to develop a homegrown relationship with you that enables investment you have done to become self-sustaining so that whenever you’re in Africa or Nigeria, you can stop by or can look back at your legacy,” Mbah said.
The governor, who was represented by the deputy governor, Barr Ifeanyi Ossai, while lamenting the perennial post-harvest losses farmers have been facing in the state, urged IFAD for more support to enable the creation of aggregation centres around farm clusters for production preservation that would minimize post-harvest challenges.
“Again, we’re looking at whatever support we can get to begin to encourage commercial farmers because we also know that we have commercial farmers who do the big ticket transaction. It is a lot easier for them to sustain the small holder farmers than whatever programme the government can do. Because when they support the smallholder farmers and provide them with inputs, they support them and teach them skills and they can even advance credit to them because they will be encouraged knowing that there is an already market. So, we are looking for help from you to build some medium to high-level processing centres,” he further added.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Brown said he was in Enugu to deepen their conversation with the state government on the way both bodies could strengthen their interests, and to also inspect some of the projects funded by IFAD in the last couple of years.
“We have come to Enugu State to look at some of the work we’ve funded through the government of Nigeria. And we selected Enugu State because we have very good things about the work that is happening here,” he stressed.
The IFAD boss further commended the governor for his drive at sustaining the projects and programme as it is the key to ensuring the aims of IFAD in the country are actualized.
Noting that IFAD had about one billion dollars investment in Nigeria which included different sectors and subsectors such as agriculture, processing and production, the AVP said they were looking for ways to support the government to improve food production and food security particularly now that Nigeria is facing food crisis.
News
US publishes fresh names, photos of 10 Nigerians to be deported
The United States Department of Homeland Security has added 10 Nigerians to its “Worst of the Worst” register, a database highlighting immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over alleged criminal offences.
The latest names were published on the official DHS website and include individuals linked to cases involving fraud, identity theft, drug offences, assault, conspiracy and offences involving children.
The 10 Nigerians listed in the latest update are:
Temitope Bashua — Wire fraud, identity theft and fraud — Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Ojehoro Lewis — Cruelty towards a child — Conroe, Texas
Osemudiamen Kingsley Oziegbe — Wire fraud — Louisville, Kentucky
Daniel Oworen — Dangerous drugs — Conroe, Texas
Raymond H. Ekevwo — Wire fraud — Oxford, Wisconsin
Franklin Dikeocha — Sex offence against a child – fondling — Dallas, Texas
Johnson Ogunlana — Fraud and identity theft — White Deer, Pennsylvania
Chukwuemeka Okorocha — Wire fraud, dangerous drugs, possession of a weapon and aggravated assault involving a non-family gun — Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Tunde Korede — Conspiracy — Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Chukwuemeka Chinye — Larceny from a banking-type institution, fraud, larceny, identity theft and conspiracy — Pollock, Louisiana
DHS said the register was established to draw attention to immigrants it describes as the “worst of worst criminal aliens” arrested by ICE.

“Every day, the patriots of ICE are working to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country. Just yesterday, ICE arrested murderers, pedophiles, kidnappers, and other violent criminals to make America safe again,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, there will be no safe haven for illegal aliens, including in sanctuary cities which put illegal aliens over their own citizens. We will never apologize for arresting and deporting illegal aliens, because that’s how we protect American lives.”
The department said the latest immigration enforcement actions were part of the Trump administration’s deportation policy.
“Under DHS leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here,” the department said.
The latest publication comes after DHS released another list in July containing 124 Nigerians arrested by ICE and identified on the same register.
The July list featured Nigerians associated with a range of criminal offences, although the department did not provide specific deportation dates for those individuals
News
FG orders closure of first River Niger bridge for one week
…Orders CCTV installation to stop vandalism
The federal government on Friday announced the closure of the River Niger bridge for one week.
The closure is to carry out repairs on the vandalised sections of the River Niger bridge road and install security architecture in the area.
Minister for Works, Engr Dave Umahi, disclosed this at Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra during an inspection tour of the bridge and other roads under construction in the South East and South South geopolitical zones of the country.

The first River Niger Bridge linking Asaba and Onitsha
He said motorists would, at the closure of the bridge, be directed to the Second Niger Bridge in order to give the contractors an adequate time frame to carry out the necessary repairs.

Recall that suspected vandals had looted vital bolts and irons used in the construction of the bridge, thereby exposing the bridge to obvious collapse and, in the process, threatening the lives of millions of road users and passersby.
He explained that security measures are being taken to avert a repeat occurrence of vandalism on the bridge.
“Bridges are designed for light load and dynamic loads so we have directed that work should start immediately and the entire asphalt be removed and put another one and there will be solar lights on that bridge in the next one week and we shall fix CCTV and connect it to the one in the 2nd Niger Bridge so that security will observe and whoever that tries to touch the bridge again is going to be arrested.
“Now on the first Niger bridge, we have seen the wickedness of the underworld. We have seen the man’s inhumanity to man; those things that they are removing is very dangerous to the beauty of that bridge and we have commenced action on that bridge,” he said.
He added; “There Is so much accumulated workload on that bridge, like it was with the 3rd Mainland Bridge, and every government that comes will put asphalt, and it is causing a lot of gridlock on that bridge.
“So these are the actions that we have taken and then getting down we came to the Enugu – Onitsha express and they are working in three sections and there the Enugu -Onitsha and another one is 17.5 km and the last one is about 20km by two and so I have directed them not to start any asphalt work or concrete work so what they are to do is to take measurements of all the failed sections and it should be milled out and then use 16mm binder to cover them very well all the way from head bridge to 21.5 km and they will finish one carriage way before they go to the other one.
“We have to attempt to work at night so that we don’t interfere with traffic and we have to get the road safety involved and our own local traffic managers they should commence the desilting of the drainage before commencing.
“To that effect we may have to close down the first Niger bridge in seven days time and we direct traffic to the second Niger bridge for us to fix the first Niger bridge in good time,” he stated.
At the ongoing construction of the second Niger Bridge access road, Engr Timothy Emenike, Controller, and Engr Nnamdi explained that there would be no more slow pace of work on the project, adding that the project is being executed from both fronts in order to beat the deadline.
“The project starts from Obosi down to Mkpor and Ogidi and now we are in Ogbunike and along this alignment between the last time you came we are working on several stops along this alignment and you have just seen the second bridge that is ongoing and we are almost about to start the third one”.
“Work pace will not be a hindrance until we exhaust what was given to us by the Anambra state government and I am happy to inform you that since the new Commissioner took over we have been going to the new Commissioner’s office and have been pressuring him to give us more work space.”
According to him, in the next week we shall have another work space of 5km between Obosi axis, working from both ends.
“We are cutting through the hill at Ogbunike to continue the work in that area,” they stated.
Anambra State Commissioner for Works, Arc Okey Ezeobi, announced that the right of way being demanded by the contractors would be granted to them, adding that an additional 5km has been added to the contractors.
Ezeobi thanked President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Engr Dave Umahi for providing democracy dividends for the people of Anambra and the South East.
He reiterated the support of the people of the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“There is no better way to describe this as a renewed hope and not fit saying it and the Hon Minister with what you are doing with our wonderful President for the first time Easterners can come in and move out with ease and the bottleneck they had been a great harassment and that is sending people out of the South East, has been taken care of.
“One can now bypass Onitsha, bypass Asaba and you are on your way.
“You don’t know how glad the people of Anambra and the South East is and thank Mr President for us.
“There is no way to ask for democracy dividend than this and that is when you have a visionary leadership tailored towards alleviating the sufferings of the masses.
“Mr President is developing every part of Nigeria and regarding the right of way for this project, we are finalizing it and we are adding another 5km to what we have now and there will be more than enough for the contractor to work with,” he added.
News
Family announces funeral arrangements for former GOCOP President Dotun Oladipo
The family of The Eagle Online publisher, Dotun Oladipo, has announced September 10 and 11, 2026 as the dates for the funeral programmes of the journalist and media entrepreneur.
Oladipo died on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 56.
According to the family, a service of songs will hold at DayStar Church, Oregun, Ikeja, on Thursday, September 10.
The burial service will take place at the same venue on Friday, September 11, followed by his interment.
Oladipo was president of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) from 2017 to 2021 and was among the foundational members who helped shape the association during its formative years.

GOCOP President, Danlami Nmodu, described his death as a painful loss to the Guild and recalled his contribution to the development of online publishing in Nigeria.Exploring African Diaspora Media
“Dotun played an important role in the development of GOCOP. He led the Guild for four years at a time when there was still a lot of work to be done to establish online publishers as an important part of the media. His contribution will always be remembered,” Nmodu said.
Nmodu said Oladipo brought his experience as a journalist and publisher to the leadership of the Guild.
“Dotun understood journalism and he understood the business of publishing. He was passionate about the place of online media in Nigeria and he gave his time to the growth of the Guild. We are saddened by his passing,” Nmodu said.
Oladipo was also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria), and was active in the development of Nigeria’s online publishing industry.
-
News1 day agoGunmen abduct 15 NYSC Corps members in Kogi
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: NLC General Secretary, Ugboaja, is dead
-
News1 day agoGunmen kill APC chairman in Kogi, abduct another
-
News2 days agoTinubu meets APC Governors at Presidential Villa
-
News2 days agoEnugu Govt Refutes Report of Sale of Assets at ESBS, Water Corporation, Stadium, Lagos Liaison Office
-
News11 hours agoUS publishes fresh names, photos of 10 Nigerians to be deported
-
News12 hours agoFG orders closure of first River Niger bridge for one week
-
News2 days agoSEDC set to launch 15 Agromechanisation projects across S’East




