The Provost of the College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Professor Uchenna Ekwochi, has said Governor Peter Mbah’s Smart Green School initiative is laying the foundation for a generation of globally competitive children through quality, technology-driven education.

Professor Ekwochi made the remark, Thursday, during the Cultural Day celebration at the Enugu Smart Green School, Umueze Awkunanaw, in Nkanu West Local Government Area, where he commended the Enugu State Government for its bold investment in educational transformation.

Describing the Smart Green School initiative as a visionary intervention, the renowned paediatrician said the facilities provide pupils with the knowledge, digital skills and experiential learning needed to compete successfully with their peers anywhere in the world.

He noted that he attended the event not only to celebrate with the pupils but also to inspire them, reminding the children that every successful professional was once a young learner with dreams and aspirations.

Professor Ekwochi, who celebrated his birthday alongside his son, Gideon Ekwochi, with the pupils, thanked the state government for bringing the world-class educational facility to the community.

The Provost also praised the siting of a Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centre beside the school, describing it as a strategic intervention that would improve access to quality healthcare, strengthen primary healthcare delivery and enhance the well-being of residents.

According to him, communities across Enugu State no longer have to lobby for government projects, noting that the equitable distribution of development projects reflects Governor Mbah’s commitment to inclusive governance and balanced development.

He urged members of the community to take ownership of the Smart Green School by protecting its facilities from vandalism, stressing that public participation is essential to sustaining government’s investment in education.

As part of efforts to promote academic excellence, Professor Ekwochi, who fully sponsored the school’s Cultural Day celebration, announced a cash award of ₦100,000 for the overall best graduating Primary Six pupil progressing to Junior Secondary School.

Also speaking, the Igwe-elect of Umueze Awkunanaw, Dr. Emeka Ani, thanked the governor for bringing the Smart Green School to the community, describing it as a landmark investment in the future of children.

He assured that the community would safeguard the facility and commended Professor Ekwochi for his longstanding contributions to education, scholarships and community development.

Similarly, a stakeholder from the community, Surveyor Geoffrey Agbo described the Smart Green School as a transformative project that would expose children to modern digital learning and prepare them for future technological challenges.

He urged residents to protect the facility while describing it as a collective asset for present and future generations.

Earlier, the Head Teacher of the school, Mrs. Ngene Nwabueze, expressed appreciation to provost for sponsoring the successful Cultural Day celebration.

She also praised Governor Mbah for delivering a state-of-the-art Smart Green School equipped with 25 modern classrooms, solar-powered electricity, potable water, smart boards, computers, science laboratories, digital library, campus-wide internet connectivity and other experiential learning facilities, adding that the initiative has set a new benchmark for basic education in the state and beyond.

Governor Peter Mbah has approved the recruitment of over 6,500 qualified candidates into various academic, technical, and administrative positions in public primary and secondary schools in Enugu State, particularly the 267 Smart Green Schools.

The government, in a statement by the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Prof. Hyginus Okibe Banko, said the basic qualifications for the various positions include a Bachelor’s Degree in Education; or a Bachelor’s Degree/HND in a relevant discipline in addition to a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE); or a Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) in the specified subject areas. Registration or proof of ongoing registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) is mandatory.

The statement added that there are also vacancies for OND and SSCE/WASSCE holders in relevant positions.

All candidates applying for Degree/HND positions must possess a valid NYSC discharge or exemption certificate and demonstrate practical proficiency in information and communication technology (ICT) tools across all cadres.

Interested applicants are to submit a formal application letter, accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae (CV), copies of academic and professional credentials, a birth certificate or sworn declaration of age, and valid contact details.

Hard copy applications should be submitted directly to the Office of the Executive Chairman, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Enugu State.

For electronic submissions, all application documents should be compiled into a single PDF file and sent directly to ENSUBEB’s official email address: ensubebofficial@outlook.com. The deadline for the submission of applications is Friday, August 14, 2026.

Hundreds of commuters and motorists have been left stranded after floodwaters submerged a section of the Ore-Benin road along the Lagos–Benin expressway, causing massive traffic gridlock and disrupting movement on the busiest highways.

The flooding, triggered by hours of torrential rainfall, forced vehicles to move slowly through the submerged section while many others remained trapped in long queues stretching several kilometres.

Sever videos obtained by the Nation and circulating on social media showed a vast expanse of water covering the affected portion of the expressway, with motorists struggling to navigate the flooded road amid fears of possible accidents and vehicle breakdowns.

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Some passengers, in one of the footages, were seen waiting by the roadside while others expressed frustration over the recurring flooding on the strategic highway, which serves as a major gateway linking, Ondo, Lagos and the South-West to Edo State and the South-South region.

One of the stranded motorists, identified simply as Henry in the footages, described the experience as traumatic, calling on government authorities to urgently intervene before the situation deteriorates further.

“Everyone is stuck here. We need urgent government attention right now. We are on our way to Lagos from Ondo State when we saw this. The situation is terrible,” he said in one of the viral video clips.

It was gathered that the flood caused severe delays for travellers, many of whom reportedly spent several hours on the road as drivers cautiously manoeuvred through the flooded section.

The latest flooding has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the Ore axis of the federal highway, particularly during the peak of the rainy season when heavy downpours often overwhelm drainage channels and inundate parts of the road.

The Ore-Benin corridor remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic transport routes, serving as a vital economic lifeline for the movement of goods, petroleum products and passengers between the South-West, South-South and South-East regions.