News
Mbah: 52 Cannons To A Rare Breed
By Samson Ezea
Saying unequivocally and with finality that Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the Owo, Nkanu East LGA-born maritime lawyer, financial analyst, public servant, oil magnet and renowned entrepreneur, before emerging or becoming the Governor of Enugu State is a rare breed is not an overstatement or a lie.
He is indeed in his own unique element and will continue to be, having already had the world in his palms through the dint of hard work, focus, and grace at 52. It is also of note that at a very relative young age, Mbah found himself in the corridors of power occupying the powerful positions of Chief of Staff to the Governor and Commissioner for Finance and was able to handle them very well without being carried away by the perks and paraphernalia of office.
Unlike the typical Nigerian politician, that would have continued to hang and hover around the corridors of power, lobby for more political positions, favours, juicy government contracts and other government patronage usually in abundance,
Mbah quietly abandoned politics and public service and moved on after his stint with the Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani’s administration.
He returned to Lagos, where he was before to search for business opportunities and potentials that are always in abundance for those that have the vision, resilience, and capacity to overcome and prosper.
In Lagos, Mbah quietly, patiently, and stoically started in a studio room in Victoria Island, a company known as Pinnacle Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited. With time, the company became visible with some retail filling stations across the country, while Mbah worked studiously behind the scene and within a short time, he transformed and expanded the company’s business frontiers from a studio room office to a major global player in the competitive downstream oil industry by conceptualising, commencing and completing the largest tank farm in Africa at Lekki free trade zone. This huge and unprecedented investment was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2022 amidst accolades and commendations by Nigerians and the international community.
It will not be surprising if Mbah’s magic wand and Midas touch which brought about the breakthrough and success of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited become a case study and reference point in the global oil industry and entrepreneurial community in the years ahead. This is because Mbah’s exploits and achievements in that regard are no mean feat, especially for someone who had a very short stint in politics and was not a major stakeholder in the oil industry.
That was why Mbah’s foray into the murky water of Nigeria again in 2022 to aspire for the coveted office of the Governor of Enugu State on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) created fears and sent shivers down the spines of his co-aspirants and opposition, who instantly became threatened by his expression of interest.
His entry into the governorship race changed the equation because he came prepared, became the big masquarade and the best among the equals before, during and after the party primaries and the governorship election.
Throughout the struggles, intrigues, and schemings for the PDP governorship primaries and elections, Mbah was not daunted, disillusioned, or perturbed. Rather he was calm, confident and focused. This was despite the barrage of social media mudslingings and campaign of calumny unleashed on him by the opponents, especially the Labour Party governorship candidate, and his spin doctors.
He remained dogged, determined, and had his eyes on the ball.
His victory in the election didn’t come easy because of the sabotage within his party and bandwagon effect and wave of the presidential ambition of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, particularly in the Southeast region.
At the court, Mbah emerged victorious from the tribunal to the Supreme Court that dismissed the petitions of his co- contestants in LP, APC, and the rest for lack of merit.
At 52, and less than one year in office, Governor Mbah who came into office with the mantra of disruptive innovations and in a hurry to change things for good, has revolutionised and re-engineered the governance, political and development structures of Enugu State for better performance.
He has brought to bear his public and private sectors experiences to the governance of Enugu State. With his government’s massive interventions in all sectors of the state economy, Mbah is systematically and methodically building Enugu of the people’s dream and greater future.
Apart from ending quickly the menace of the IPOB-induced illegal Monday sit-at-home in Enugu and repositioning the state’s security architecture to enhance peace and security,
Mbah’s administration has turned the state into a huge construction site with completed and ongoing roads, health institutions and smart schools projects across the state. From agriculture, housing, SME, tourism, health, water, ICT, civil service, environment, sports, transport, Mbah’s administration is making changes and progress that will catapult the state to enviable economic height in the immediate and years to come.
Politics, which has been part of government and governance in the state before now, has taken a back seat, while good governance, infrastructural development and delivery of democracy dividends have taken the centre stage and frontburner. There is also a paradigm shift in the leadership recruitment and style of governance in the state. This is gradually changing the state’s political actors, landscape and activities.
To Governor Mbah, it appears that the best form of politics and governance is good governance and delivery of democracy dividends to the people, especially at the grassroots where there are majority of the voters. This is what Governor Mbah has demonstrated by the way and manner his government is executing projects, particularly roads in some suburbs like Abakpa, Emene, Obiagu, Camp, Awkunanaw, Ugwuaji, Agbani road and others that have been neglected for sometimes.
At 52 and as the Governor of Enugu State, Mbah has shown Ndi Enugu that their choice of him as their governor at the poll was never a wrong decision. He has demonstrated to them by his actions and inactions that he is capable and prepared for the job they entrusted in his hands and there is light at the end of the tunnel, eventhough it will be no longer business as usual.
It is quite gladdening and celebratory that at 52, Governor Mbah has written his name in gold, had his footprints in the sand of time and is highly desirous of breaking new grounds in creating wealth and rendering selfless service to humanity.
Mbah is a jinx breaker, three national dailies awards winner, astute entrepreneur, and Governor of Enugu state with burning desire, creative abilities, genuine moves and disruptive innovations and vision to build new Enugu of international standards and global economic reckoning.
Ride on the game changer, technological savvy, financial analyst and great leader of our time. Happy birthday, the disruptive innovators and outstanding personality.
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
…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.
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.
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