Politics
How I lost my way in Enugu – Sen. Utazi

By Our Reporter
A ranking Senator in the 9th Senate and an indigene of Enugu state, representing Enugu North Senatorial District,
Senator Chukwuka Utazi, 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.
“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.
Politics
IPU cannot consider Natasha’s petition – Jimoh Ibrahim

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Inter-parliamentary Committee, remarked that the purported petition from the suspended Senator Natasha is “dead on arrival.”
He emphasised that Nigeria, rather than Senator Natasha, is the member of the IPU.
A petition can only be lodged against another member state by a member state.
This implies that the IPU cannot consider petitions from individuals who are not members.
The suspended Senator Natasha is not a member of the IPU, but Nigeria is!
Additionally, the suspended Senator cannot represent the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I served as the interim president of the IPU in Geneva in 2023, and I am familiar with how the IPU operates after presiding over its proceedings.
Furthermore, as Chairman of the Inter- parliamentary Committee in the Nigerian Senate, I did not approve or authorise the suspended Senator Natasha to attend the IPU on behalf of Nigeria to the Senate President.”
Politics
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Senate in session in the chamber
Politics
No Individual Bigger Than PDP, Says Diri

By David Owei ,Bayelsa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was bigger than any individual and that its internal challenges would be fixed once the members resolve to tackle them.
Speaking to journalists at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday after the inauguration of the party’s South-South zonal caretaker committee led by Elder Emma Ogidi, the Bayelsa Governor said the political will to confront those fomenting trouble in the party resided with the members and not solely on the leadership.
Diri, who is also Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum, stated that for the party to be competitive as the oldest in the country, it must look inwards and fix its internal issues.
He said: “For me, we have to look inwards before accusing those outside our party. We have to first fix our internal issues.
“It is very easy to point accusing fingers. But the PDP has to sit back and tackle its internal challenges. That is only when we can stand to compete with others.
“I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties. We are the oldest political party in Nigeria. So we have no reason to be accusing outsiders.”
On whether the party’s leadership had the political will to discipline those fomenting trouble, Governor Diri averred that such will resided with the members.
“We are all members of the party. The moment we all resolve that we need to fix our party, there cannot be any one person that is bigger than the party.”
He stressed that the newly inaugurated zonal caretaker committee had the mandate of the National Working Committee to look into every issue affecting the party in the South-South.
The Bayelsa helmsman expressed the hope that the event was a step forward for the party.
“In our zone, which is the only area in the country you have four governors of the party, we have all resolved and are together on this. You can see the deputy governor of Delta State, who represented the governor. I have also received messages from the governors of Akwa Ibom and Rivers. It shows that we are together and what we need to do is to show leadership and work with the zonal committee so that our zone will again become safe and strong for the PDP.”
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