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I lost my way in Enugu – Sen. Utazi lauds Mbah’s infrastructural strides

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Senator Chukwuka Utazi
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Senator Chukwuka Utazi, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District, also known as Nsukka senatorial zone, in the 9th National Assembly, has narrated how he recently lost his way inside Enugu metropolis, attributing it to the unprecedented level of development in the state within a short period of Governor Peter Mbah administration in infrastructure and other sectors.

Utazi, who said this during a media parley with Government House Enugu correspondents shortly after a private visit to Governor Peter Mbah in his office on Tuesday, also added that he was more than satisfied with the significant transformation taking place in the state under Mbah’s leadership.

According to him, on arrival at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, he was driven into the city through the tunnel at the New Haven junction, but could no longer recognise the city due to the level of infrastructural transformations while he was away.

“This is one year and seven months and someone has posted so many projects for everyone to see, transforming Enugu to a state of our dreams. When all these things were done, I was out of Enugu for almost two months. So, when I came back in October, I lost my way. My brother who was taking me home took me under the tunnel from the airport. Turning all way from Otigba Roundabout, I saw so many things that were done within such short time,” he said.

He further expressed surprise at the rate in which works were going on across the state, particularly pointing at the vigour contractors were putting on the Ugwogo-Nike-Opi-Nsukka road dualization project.

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“I am from Nsukka. When I was returning, instead of the zigzag way we usually follow, I saw people clearing and I asked what they were doing and I was told the governor wants the road straight because many people have lost their lives using the road in such a manner.

“As a senator I know the efforts I made to ensure the dualization of that road. I didn’t hear any discussion about the contract and I said it’s a gimmick but I called the contractor, COMAG Construction, who happens to be our in-law but he laughed and said the job was going to be done,” the senator added.

While lamenting how past leadership failures contributed to the abandonment of projects in the state, Utazi said Mbah had shown that leadership was intentional and not a rocket science that defers solution.

“To some people, two years is not enough to start but within one year and seven months, we have seen a lot of jobs done. Take a look at the face-lift behind Okpara Square and see how he has completed all the abandoned projects there. This is because he believes in continuity. Some said they can’t finish the projects of the past governors but in the process, the projects that our people would have benefited from became wasted and lost. Today, Mbah has completed them and I am proud of him.

“I am very happy and pleased that Governor Peter Mbah is working for our people. As a Christian who understands the injunction of God in the book of Romans that we should pray for our leaders because every leader is from God, we have been praying for Governor Peter Mbah so that he will do the job without getting distracted. This leadership of his is from God and we shall continue to pray to him,” he noted.

The elated senator boasted that Enugu State under the leadership of Peter Mbah can now boldly beat its chest of having the state-of-the-art facilities big enough to host the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference and other international conferences.

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FG slashes interest rate on late tax payment

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The Federal Government (FG) has reduced the penalty interest rate for late settlement of tax liabilities, with the new regime taking effect from October 1, 2026.

Under the new arrangement, interest on tax liabilities payable in naira will be pegged to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) plus one percentage point, down from the previous five-percentage-point penalty.

The measure is contained in the Nigeria Tax Administration (Interest on Late Payment of Tax) Order, 2026, issued yesterday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, pursuant to Section 65 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.

According to the minister, the new Order will apply uniformly to taxpayers dealing with federal, state and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) tax authorities.

However, the applicable interest rate on naira-denominated tax liabilities will not fall below the yield on 364-day Treasury Bills, reflecting the Federal Government’s cost of borrowing when tax payments are delayed.

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For tax liabilities payable in foreign currencies, interest will be charged at the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus six percentage points.

The Order further provides that where SOFR is discontinued, its officially designated successor rate will apply.

Explaining the rationale for the new regime, Oyedele said the objective was to align the cost of late tax payments more closely with prevailing market conditions while providing taxpayers with greater certainty about their obligations.

“Tax that is due belongs to the public. When it is paid late, Government may have to borrow to fill the gap, and the cost falls on everyone.

“This Order ties the cost of late payment to real market rates, so that delaying tax does not become a cheaper form of credit than the market itself,” he stated.

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APC wins all Chairmanship, Councillorship seats in Enugu

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all chairmanship and Councillorship seats contested in the Sept. 26 Local Government Election in Enugu State.

The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) conducted election into the 17 Chairmanship and 260 Ward Councillorship positions in the state on Saturday.

Declaring the election results at the ENSIEC headquarters in Enugu on Sunday, the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Christian Ngwu, said that the election was free and fair.

Ngwu said that the election was conducted according to rules guiding the Commission, and “subsequently, we are issuing the winners with certificate of returns.”

Speaking after collecting his certificate of return, Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area, Chief Caleb Ani, attributed the landslide victory of the candidates of APC to the massive developmental works of Gov. Peter Mbah.

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Ani urged the residents of the state to vote for Mbah en masse in the forthcoming 2027 General Election to continue the good works.

“Gov. Mbah has done well in all ramifications, this is partly while the APC candidates won overwhelmingly.

“I urge the people to vote for him, come 2027 General Elections so that he will continue with his good works and do more,” he said.

Reacting, the APC Chairman in Enugu State, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, said that the resounding victory at the polls indicated the dominance of the national ruling party, APC, in the state.

“We will not rest as we push the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and our amiable governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for the world to see.

“Tinubu, Mbah and all the APC candidates will be reelected in 2027 as they have performed exceptionally well in the past three years,” he said.

In the numerical figures of the results pronounced, APC chairmanship candidates won with margins while the opposition parties trailed behind with minimal votes.

For instance, in Udenu, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South local Government Areas respectively, the APC chairmen elect secured virtually the whole votes cast.

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‘Where is Nigeria’s president?’, Peter Obi questions Tinubu’s absence from UNGA

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Peter Obi and President Bola Tinubu
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Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned the absence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, contrasting it with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s participation in the global gathering.

Obi raised the question in a post on his Facebook page while commenting on Mahama’s address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

Mahama attended the UNGA and delivered Ghana’s national statement, where he addressed issues including global governance, Africa’s representation in international institutions and Ghana’s economic recovery.

Obi described the Ghanaian president’s address as “remarkable,” saying it demonstrated what leadership could achieve when competence, capacity, compassion, commitment and character were brought together in the service of a nation.

He subsequently asked why the president of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, was not personally present at the gathering.

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“Where is the President of Africa’s most populous nation, a country of more than 200 million people – more than Ghana – whose leader has been absent from the global stage for three consecutive UNGAs?” Obi asked.

The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s president ought to be representing the country and providing leadership for Africa at the international level, particularly at a time he said the country was facing significant domestic and international challenges.

Although Vice President Kashim Shettima is representing Nigeria at the 81st UNGA and leading the country’s delegation, Obi said his presence did not answer the question of the president’s absence.

“Although our Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was present, the question remains: Where is the President?” he wrote.

The Federal Government has said President Tinubu mandated Shettima to represent him at the UNGA and lead Nigeria’s delegation, with the Vice President authorised to deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements.

Shettima’s participation included meetings and engagements focused on Nigeria’s priorities and strengthening the country’s role in multilateral cooperation.

Obi, however, urged Nigerians to continue praying for the President’s return and for his leadership in addressing the challenges confronting the country.

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