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EU commends Gov. Mbah for blazing the trail in Nigeria Solar-for- Healthcare Project, NISHP

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Governor Peter Mbah and Miss Inga Stefanowicz
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The European Union, EU, has commended Enugu State under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah for becoming the first state to key into the Nigeria Solar-for-Health Project, NISHP, an initiative of the EU to provide 24-hour access to clean, efficient, and reliable energy to public healthcare facilities across Nigeria.

The commendation was given by the Head, Green and Digital Economy Section, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Miss Inga Stefanowicz, during a working visit by the delegation and its technical partners to the governor at the Government House, Enugu, on the sidelines of the official launch of the NISHP in the state capital.

Miss Stefanowicz said the EU was also interested in harnessing all the renewable energy potentials in the state, and would, therefore, be visiting some of the sites with such potentials.

NIGERIA SOLAR FOR HEALTH PROJECT
L-R: Commissioner for Health, Enugu State, Prof. Emmanuel Obi; Head, Green and Digital Economy Section, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Inga Stefanowicz; governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; Programme Manager, EU Nigeria, Godfrey Ogbemudia; Head of Trust, Transition and Inclusion, German Agency for International Development, GIZ, Duke Benjamin; Sharon Doshia Kaburuk (GIZ); Technical Advisor, Nigeria Energy Support Programme, Alexander Akolo; Technical Adviser, NTU International during a working visit to the governor at the Government House, Enugu, on the sidelines of the launch of Health for Power Project in Enugu.

“Congratulations for having been the first state and governor, who has committed time, resources, and money to this Nigeria-Solar-for- Health Project.

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“It is a project that primarily addresses the issue of public sector service, being health service; that is also integrating this new approach of working through and with the private sector.

“This programme is a reference for anything and everything when it comes to power sector development in Nigeria, looking at the entire ecosystem and the stakeholders.

“We are here to have a comprehensive look at the opportunities in Enugu State and the potentials for our further cooperation,” she stated.

In his response, Governor Mbah appreciated the EU for partnering with Enugu State, noting that the EU objectives also aligned with that of his administration.

Mbah said that having embarked on the construction of 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state, his administration did not waste time to latch on to the NISHP once the opportunity presented itself.

“Some of the things you said about some of your strategic objectives also aligned with our broad strategic objectives, which speak to peace, security, inclusive economic development, and, of course, prosperity and sustainability.

“What we are doing with the EU and indeed the other development partners are largely at the core of our governance philosophy – partnership and collaboration – and being also very transparent and accountable.

“Since we assumed office, the issue of human capital development has been our preoccupation because we recognise the importance of providing the basic social services and the basic amenities for our people.

“So, a lot of these sectors: education, healthcare, and basic amenities like electricity, water, etc. are not things we joke with. For example, 33 per cent of our budget is dedicated to the educational sector where we are currently building 260 smart schools because we know that the true wealth of our nation largely comes from the standard of our public education.

“The same goes for the primary healthcare where we do not find the indicators in that space acceptable. What we did was to start the construction of 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres. The idea is to make sure that our people have access to 24/7 primary health care. To achieve that, you must have power, and today, even when you have access to power, the costs of just even connecting to the grid are prohibitive.

“Therefore, this idea of having renewable sources is something we find very compelling to partner with, and when the proposal came, we did not spare any time or effort. we immediately latched on to it,” Mbah stated.

The governor also welcomed the interest of the Germans in helping to develop Enugu State’s renewable energy potentials, patterning with the state.

“I am also very glad to hear that there are windows of opportunities that we can also explore in the renewable space, whether it is hydro or wind. I am happy to hear that you will be visiting some of the sites to have a view. There is also the viability of wind, which also exists here. We have done exploration of that, and we know it is possible.” He concluded.

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APC Supporters Attacked, Campaign Vehicle Set Ablaze in Katsina

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Image shows scenes from reported violence in Yankara town, Faskari LGA in Katsina
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Suspected hoodlums have attacked supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yankara town, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, leaving several people injured and a campaign vehicle belonging to a political support group burnt.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday as APC supporters travelled to attend the Tinubu-Dikko 2027 Campaign Rally organised in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.

Eyewitnesses alleged that the attackers ambushed the supporters along a major road, blocked a route expected to be used by the campaign convoy and disrupted movement, triggering panic among residents.

A witness, who spoke to our correspondent by telephone, claimed that two APC supporters sustained fatal injuries during the attack.

However, the claim had not been independently verified as of 9:10 p.m. on Saturday.

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The Caucus Chairman of the Musa Adamu Network (MAN), Alhaji Nura Sule Yandaki, said he and 11 members of his team were travelling to the rally when the incident occurred.

According to Yandaki, tension escalated while members of another Islamic group were holding a Maulud procession, with suspected hoodlums allegedly taking advantage of the situation to attack vehicles, including those conveying APC supporters.

A vehicle belonging to the Musa Adamu Network was reportedly set ablaze during the violence.

Reacting to the incident, the network’s Secretary, Shamsuddeen Sani Lema, condemned the attack and called on security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible.

Lema described the incident as unacceptable, insisting that political activities should not be conducted in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation.

He also urged the justice system to strengthen measures to deter similar attacks across the country.

As of 9:10 p.m. on Saturday, the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Radda Proceeds with Campaign Rally

Despite the reported violence, Governor Radda proceeded with the Tinubu-Dikko 2027 Campaign Rally in Faskari, where he highlighted his administration’s achievements in healthcare, security, education and infrastructure.

The governor announced that his administration had fulfilled its campaign promise to complete and open the Faskari General Hospital.

“During our previous campaign visit, we promised not to forget the hospital in Faskari. Today, by the grace of Almighty Allah, we have fulfilled that promise by opening the hospital for our people,” Radda said.

He also highlighted ongoing investments in road construction, school renovation, healthcare delivery and security, saying the interventions were helping to restore peace and create an enabling environment for economic activities.

Radda reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency, agricultural development, community service and inclusive governance. He also assured residents that qualified indigenes of Faskari would continue to have opportunities to contribute to the state’s development.

Earlier, the Director-General of the Tinubu-Dikko 2027 Campaign Council, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, commended the large turnout at the rally and praised Tinubu’s economic reforms as well as Radda’s performance in security, healthcare, education and human capital development.

Dangiwa urged APC members, youths and women to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Also speaking, the Katsina State APC Chairman, Bishir Saulawa, assured supporters that the party would maintain a peaceful, issue-based campaign focused on its achievements rather than insults or divisive politics.

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Soldiers kill two bandits in Kogi ambush

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Another 196 soldiers resign from Nigerian Army over low morale, other reasons
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Troops of Sector 3, Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, killed two suspected bandits during an intelligence-led ambush along the Adankolo–Apata Road in Kogi State on Saturday.

According a post by the Acting Media Information Officer, HQ JTF Operation Whirl Stroke on Saturday posted on the Nigerian Army’s X handle, the operation followed credible intelligence about the movement of suspected criminals around communities in Kabba-Bunu and Lokoja Local Government Areas.

Troops set up an ambush on a suspected supply route, made contact with the group, and forced them to flee.

“Later the same morning, during a follow-up search, troops recovered the bodies of the two suspected bandits in the Adankolo Forest area.

“Items recovered included one locally made pistol, one cartridge, and one empty 7.62mm special ammunition case,” the post read.

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The Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke and General Officer Commanding 5 Division, Major General Moses Gara, praised the troops for their success and urged the public to continue providing timely information to security agencies.

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Enugu APC Accuses NDC of Spreading False Claims Over Amadeo Event Centre Dispute

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The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of spreading misleading allegations against the Enugu State Government over a dispute involving the management of Amadeo Event Centre.

The APC Campaign Council, in a statement issued by its Spokesperson and Director of Public Communications, Steve Oruruo, alleged that the NDC had attempted to link the state government to a disagreement arising from a private commercial arrangement involving the event centre.

The controversy followed allegations circulated in a viral video concerning the management of Amadeo Event Centre and an alleged attempt to prevent a political gathering associated with former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi.

According to the APC, the dispute originated from an agreement between the event centre’s management and a client identified as Dr Sabastine Chuks Eze, who allegedly presented himself as the registrar of the Nigeria Institute of Healthcare Givers and Medical Social Work Practitioners.

The party claimed that the agreement contained a clause authorising the management to suspend any activity or event that violated the stipulated terms and conditions.

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It alleged that the disagreement over the arrangement was subsequently presented by the NDC as a politically motivated attempt to interfere with a proposed town hall meeting associated with Obi.

The APC maintained that the state government had no connection to the private commercial dispute and accused the NDC of attempting to damage the government’s reputation by politicising the matter.

Oruruo also referenced a rejoinder issued by the management of Amadeo Event Centre, which he said clarified the circumstances surrounding the disagreement.

He called on Ada Ogbu, the NDC’s Enugu East Senatorial candidate, to apologise to the people of the state, arguing that the allegations had unnecessarily dragged the government into a dispute involving a private business.

The APC further dismissed the NDC’s political influence in Enugu State, accusing the opposition party of relying on controversies involving the state government and Governor Peter Mbah to attract public attention.

Defending the Mbah administration, the campaign council described Enugu as a state experiencing improvements in security, infrastructure and economic development.

The party urged voters to focus on governance, policy proposals and candidates’ records ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that political campaigns should be based on verifiable facts rather than allegations and personal attacks.

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