….Records 1,521km of roads, 7,000 classrooms, 260 Type-2 PHCs, sweeping reforms

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has unveiled a compendium of more than 10,000 milestones recorded in the first term of his administration across critical sectors of the Enugu State economy.

The compendium, entitled “A Thousand and One Reasons Why Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Should be Re-elected as Governor of Enugu State,” was presented to the public at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on Wednesday.

The compendium of milestones records, among others, over 1,521 kilometres of constructed and reconstructed roads, over 7,000 classrooms, 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, Enugu Air, the New Enugu Smart City, and the revamp of moribund assets.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, Mbah said the compendium aligns with the Citizens Charter, also known as Executive Order 001, which he executed immediately he was sworn into office on 29th May 2023 to emphasise his administration’s commitment to accountability, traceability and transparency.

He, however, said the compendium highlighted the administration’s philosophy of disruptive innovation and its focus on large-scale infrastructure, noting that it did not contain all that had been done up to the day of unveiling.

“Our assignment today is not just to unveil the Citizens Charter via the compendium. It is a lot more than that. It is a conversation on the sacrosanct duty and responsibility you gave to us to midwife and preside over your resources.

“But above all, it is important to note that the document we are about to unveil does not entirely capture everything this government has done because, given the time it took to prepare this document, there was a cut-off point running months behind.

“So, this document that we shall unveil shortly does not in any particular material represent the actual successful modest achievements of this government as at 9th of September 2026.”

He thanked those who believed in his vision and worked for his election in 2023 and urged those affected in any way by the tough decisions the administration had to make, assuring them that Enugu was on its way to greatness as a $30bn economy and the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living.

“I also want to thank all those who made sacrifices, who lost their friends because they felt supporting us was the right thing to do. I want to thank all those who invested their resources. I want to thank all those who took pains in very unimaginable circumstances to ensure that Enugu moves to the next level.

“But what you must take home with you is that our intentions are noble. What we try to do is to put Enugu on a reversible path of greatness. What we try to do is to ensure that Enugu will not compete with Nigeria or within Nigeria,” he added.

In his welcome address, the Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state had pursued an extensive urban development agenda, including the New Enugu Smart City, environmental sustainability and urban renewal.

He added that the State’s fiscal architecture had undergone significant reform through revenue automation, reforms at the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, improved financial management, the Treasury Single Account, enterprise resource planning and broader institutional restructuring.

According to him, the administration had also sustained investments in youth empowerment, women development, technology, skills acquisition, social protection, tourism, environmental sustainability and community development.

He said the ultimate goal is to improve the lives of the people.

“Behind every project is a community; behind every policy is a citizen; and behind every statistic is a human being whose life government seeks to improve,” he concluded.

He also stressed the importance of institutional reforms in sustaining government programmes, stating: “Sustainable development requires not only projects that citizens can see, but institutions and systems that can sustain those projects.”

The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Ben Nwoye, commended the administration for its development record and the scale of projects executed across the State.

The Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, commended the Governor for his developmental strides, pledging the continued support of the legislative arm of the state government.

The Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Asadu, equally spoke glowingly about the administration’s performance, saying a performing government should be supported to continue till 2031.

“We have never had it so good. It is not about party. But let us give the job to those who understand the job. The governor wants to move the Enugu State economy to a $30bn economy and that is exactly what he is doing,” he stated.

Chief of Staff to the Governor, Victor Udeh, described the compendium as an evidence-based publication and a commitment to accountability.

The event brought together political leaders, traditional and religious leaders, captains of industry, professionals, public servants and other stakeholders, who commended the administration for the scale and spread of its interventions across the State.

Twelve years after his ministry in Kenya, East African Italian-born Catholic priest Sandro Ferretto has married Sharon Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo County.

According to Kenya Times, the couple exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony on 6 September at Seretion Village in Kasiela, a community where Mr Ferretto previously served as parish priest.

The event brought together relatives, local leaders, elders and friends of the bride, who witnessed the Koito ceremony, a significant Kalenjin custom centred on dowry negotiations and family blessings.

Ferretto’s ministry

Mr Ferretto, 55, began his priesthood in Italy before taking his ministry to Kenya, where he spent more than a decade working with local communities.

The Diocese of Padua ordained him as a priest, and he arrived in Kenya in 2008 to begin missionary service. He worked around Kasiela and Mochongoi under the Diocese of Nyahururu and became involved in pastoral outreach, youth programmes and community-based development efforts in Baringo.

He eventually returned to Italy in December 2020 with another missionary, Fr Mariano Dal Ponte.

In 2023, the priest assumed responsibility for a pastoral unit in Saletto, Borgo Veneto, in the Padua diocese. His duties covered eight churches in the area.

His tenure, however, lasted only several months. In December 2023, he celebrated a final Mass before stepping aside from the position to take time for reflection.

The decision reportedly caught some of his colleagues off guard because he gave them little notice.

The Diocese of Padua later acknowledged his withdrawal from pastoral duties, stressing that he continued to serve as a priest and had no connection to any controversy. The diocese described the decision as a requested period away from pastoral ministry.

During his break, Mr Ferretto was reportedly involved in volunteer work with a migrant support group in Padua.

Reunion and law
Mr Ferretto later returned to Kenya and reunited with Ms Jepng’ok, whom he met during his missionary work in Baringo.

Residents of the area widely knew him as “Father Sandro” after he spent more than a decade working with families, youth organisations and church congregations. Baringo is also Ms Jepng’ok’s home region.

Catholic canon law requires Latin Rite priests to observe celibacy and bars them from marrying while they remain in active ministry. The Church considers the commitment a lifelong obligation of the priesthood.

For a priest to marry, he must first be formally removed from the clerical state through a process approved by the Vatican. Known as laicisation, the process ends his status as a priest and normally includes a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy.

Only after receiving the necessary approval can a former priest marry. Without it, the marriage would contravene Catholic canon law and would not be recognised by the Church.

The Ondo State Government on Wednesday confirmed the deaths of some people in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state following the consumption of a herbal liquid substance.

No fewer than 24 residents of two communities in the council area, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, reportedly lost their lives after consuming the substance.

The incident, which was said to have occurred on Saturday, has thrown the affected communities into mourning.

A source in the area said the deceased consumed the substance on Saturday at different locations but later became unconscious, leading to their deaths, while some others who also consumed the substance were rushed to the hospital.

The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying, eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 lost their lives in Odigbo town but we are yet to confirm if it is what they drank that killed them but we are sure that the people died after drinking the herbal drinks.

“Some of the people died in their sleep while some died when they got home and many are still in the hospital as I am talking to you.”

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, said the deceased consumed the substance before the incident, adding that they were waiting for a medical team to carry out autopsies to determine the actual cause of the deaths.

Adegoroye said, “We can confirm the death of 24 people, eight in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town and many are still on admission at hospitals. But we are yet to ascertain the cause of the death and we are still waiting for the team from the state Ministry of Health to carry out the test on the deceased. That is why we can’t specifically say the real cause.”

The chairman also said he had placed a ban on the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area as a precautionary measure.

According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and the consumption of the substances.

In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, saying investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.

Ajaka did not immediately disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the deaths, but said medical and health officials would conduct further assessments in the affected communities.

“The government is taking the matter seriously and we will provide more details after the ongoing investigation has established the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Meanwhile, some youths in the town staged a mini protest and went to the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler to demand explanations and urgent measures to prevent further loss of life.

Addressing the youths, the monarch of the town, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm and assured them that efforts would be made to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths and find a lasting solution to the situation.