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Business Owners Drag Enugu Gov, Mba To Court Over Property Demolition

Published

2 years ago

December 4, 2023

Editor

Eleven residents and businesses in Enugu State have dragged Governor Peter Mbah to court over his plans to demolish their businesses, properties, and homes that were leased to them by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, a federal entity.

The suit marked No/FHC/EN/CS/168/2023 filed at the Federal High Court has Messrs. U. Maduka & 11 Ors V. Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority & 6 Ors.

The plaintiffs in the suit, which commenced by way of Originating Summons, sought, among others, the interpretation of Sections 5(3) b), 1, and 49 of the Land Use Act regarding the rights of the state government over federal lands in a state and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Enugu State Government and its agencies from tempering howsoever with the rights of the said occupants.

Plaintiffs, through their counsel, formulated three questions for determination and five reliefs for answering the questions in the negative.

“Upon favourable answers to the questions posed, the Plaintiffs seek the following reliefs against the Defendants, jointly and severally, to wit:

“Declaration that in the wise of the combined provisions of Section 5(3) (b) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Sections 1 and 49 of LandsUse Act, Cap L 15, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, that 1st to 4 Defendants have neither vires nor powers to order the Plaintiffs to remove their buildings or erections situated along Market Road, and Okpara Avenue, Enugu.

“Declaration that 1st Defendant’s notice of “REMOVE BY ORDER” dated 30th October 2023, and paint markings, “REMOVE IMMEDIATELY” dated 13th November 2023, either issued to the Plaintiffs or embossed on the walls of Plaintiffs’ premises are illegal, incompetent and ultra vires the powers of the 1st to Fourth Defendants.

“Perpetual Injuction restraining the 1st – 4th Defendants, their servants, workmen, agents or privies from howsoever causing or carrying into effect the notice of “REMOVE BY ORDER” and “REMOVE IMMEDIATELY or impeding Plaintiffs’ ingress or egress on their premises situate along Market Road, and Okpara Avenue, Enugu or effecting the demolition of Plaintiffs’ buildings or erections situate along Market Road, and Okpara Avenue, Enugu.

“ONE HUNDRED MILLION NAIRA (N100,000,000.00) payable by 1st & 2nd Defendants being exemplary and general damages for arbitrary, reckless and unconstitutional issuance of notice to “REMOVE BY ORDER” dated 30th October 2023, issued to the Plaintiffs, and paint markings, “REMOVE IMMEDIATELY” dated 13th November 2023, on the walls of the Plaintiffs premises situate along Market Road, and Okpara Avenue, Enugu.”

Meanwhile, addressing journalists on Monday, one of the counsels to some plaintiffs, Bona Ononugbo, decried the government’s abuse of its powers. According to him, while their action against the government was instituted on November 16, 2023, the state government, in sheer abuse of judicial process, instituted another action on November 20, 2023, at the State High Court against Nigeria Railways Corporation and six other affected occupants in Suit No. E/992/2023, some of whom were labelled as unknown persons.

A court document made available to journalists shows that the Enugu State Government and Attorney General of Enugu State are the sole plaintiffs, while First City Monument Bank and five others are listed as the 1-6 defendants.

Among others, the government is seeking, inter alia, a declaration that the conduct and activities of the defendants in the construction of buildings, loading of vehicles, banking, trading, buying and selling, causing environmental hazards, pollution, and degradation within a distance of 76.20 metres of the centre line on the left-hand side of Chris Chemist, Okpara avenue -market road on the railway level crossing is illegal and unconstitutional.

The government, through the Attorney General of Enugu State, also obtained an interim injunction on November 23, 2023, against the affected occupants after it concealed the facts of the matter before the presiding judge, Justice C.O. Ajah.

Lamenting the abuse of court by the state government, Ononugbo said, “On receipt of the processes filed by the government, it was discovered that the Enugu government failed to disclose to the court the facts concerning the properties sought to be acquired.

“There was nowhere in the said processes filed where the government mentioned that the land which the defendants occupy belongs to the Federal Government. In the said processes filed, the government alleged environmental pollution and degradation against the occupants of the railway properties; the government failed to mention the proposed bus terminal project,” Bona Ononugbo, counsel to some of the affected occupants, told journalists during a press conference.

“It is now obvious that the government of Enugu has sinister motives and lacks honesty and transparency. The purported bus terminal project is a land-grabbing scheme of the present administration. This project is masqueraded as a public interest project when in reality it is not, but a ploy to dispossess people’s property, like in the case of New Market for the same project under the former Governor Sullivan Chime, which Ugwuanyi administration came and shared among political cronies at the expense of the poor masses.”
PUNCH

News

BREAKING: Gov Fubara Dissolves Rivers Pension Board

Published

1 hour ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has dissolved the State Pensions Board with immediate effect.

Rivers State Head of Service Mrs Inyingi Brown made this announcement on Friday in Port Harcourt.

According to the governor, the office of the State Accountant General will handle the functions of the board until a new one is constituted.

News

FAAN Launches Cashless Payment System Across Airports

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched the cashless system of payment across all airports.

“FAAN in partnership with Paystack, is proud to announce the roll out of OPERATION GO CASHLESS, a cashless contactless payment solution across all airports beginning with Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,” the agency said in a communique on Thursday.

Effective September 29, 2025, all payments at FAAN’s revenue points, including airport Access Gates, Car Parks, FAAN VIP and Protocol Lounges will go cashless which means the agency will be phasing out the collection of cash at these points.

FAAN added that travelers and airport users will now enjoy fast and seamless services by using a secure contactless payment option.

This initiative, it stated, is a response to the growing demand for safe, modern, and transparent payment systems while ensuring Nigeria’s airports remain aligned with global digital trends.

By reducing reliance on cash, FAAN said it aims to enhance efficiency, improve revenue assurance, and deliver a better customer experience at our airports.

To ease the transition, trained brand ambassadors have been deployed at access gates and around the terminals to guide users, assist with onboarding, provide demonstrations, and answer questions they may have.

In addition, passengers have been directed to obtain a FAAN Go Cashless Card at any airport access gate in Lagos and Abuja.

After collection, users are encouraged to activate and fund their cards immediately by visiting www.gocashless. faan.gov.ng.

FAAN added that it remains committed to continuous improvement and will expand this cashless policy to other airports nationwide in phases.

For inquiries, airport users have also been advised to contact FAAN’s support line at 0700 CBS FAAN (0700 227 3226) or email the agency at gocashlesssupport@faan.gov.ng.

News

Full List: Top 10 Manufacturing Nations

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

Industrial production remains a cornerstone of the global economy and it serves as a key indicator of a nation’s economic capacity and technological advancement.

The following list presents the top ten manufacturing nations ranked by the latest available data for Manufacturing Value Added (MVA), a metric that reflects the net output of the sector after accounting for intermediate inputs.

1. China

According to the World Bank, China tops the list when it comes to manufacturing.

The country makes up about 18% of the total global manufacturing output, which adds a total value of nearly $4.66 trillion to the world economy.

The main exports from China comprise consumer goods like textiles, electronics, and garments.

2. United States

The U.S. used to have the world’s largest manufacturing sector until it was overtaken by China in 2010.

Today, the U.S. is still significantly behind China, which leads the world by a wide margin.

The country accounts for roughly 9.5% of global manufacturing, and its output is valued at almost $2.5 trillion.

American production includes automobiles, chemical products, food products, military equipment, and aircraft.

3. Japan

Japan comes in third and provides approximately 4.0% of the world’s total manufacturing output.

Japan produced a little over $1.05 trillion from manufacturing in 2023.

The country is famous for manufactured exports, including vehicles, computer parts, electronics, and chemicals.

4. Germany

Germany is among the leading European manufacturing nations, with about $839 billion coming from this sector.

Well known for motor vehicle exports, electrical machinery, and manufactured metals, the country accounts for approximately 3.2% of global manufacturing.

5. India

Although it may be better known for the I.T. workforce or customer service centers, India also has a major share of manufacturing output, accounting for around 1.8% of global manufacturing output.

The country gives an output value of roughly $461 billion. It’s mostly known for agricultural products, textiles, engineering goods, leather products, and chemicals.

6. South Korea

South Korea accounts for about 1.6% of global manufacturing, and its output value is around $416 billion.

Manufacturing represents approximately 24% of the entire country’s national output. Significant exports from South Korea include technological products, automobiles, petroleum, and machinery.

7. Mexico

Mexico accounts for around 1.4% of global manufacturing output, enough to generate a value of $359 billion. Mexican exports are mineral fuels, lubricants, food, transport equipment, and machinery.

8. Italy

Italy ranks 8th on the list of manufacturing countries, and its economic structure relies heavily on manufacturing and industrialization.

The output value of Italy’s manufacturing industry amounts to approximately $354 billion, and the country’s primary exports include metal products, clothing and footwear, vehicles, and chemicals.

9. France

France contributes approximately $297 billion in manufacturing output to the global economy, accounting for 1.1% of the total global manufacturing output.

Its leading exports include agricultural products, machinery, aircraft, and hydrocarbon products.

10. Brazil

Brazil ranks 10th among the world’s top manufacturing countries, contributing approximately $290 billion to global manufacturing.

This accounts for about 1.1% of the global total. Brazil’s manufacturing sector is diverse, with major exports including food products, automobiles, aircraft, machinery, and petroleum-based goods.

Meanwhile the highest-ranked African nations by manufacturing output, such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa, are positioned outside the global top 25.

According to UNIDO, Africa’s combined Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) constitutes a small single-digit percentage of the world total, with recent figures showing it at 2% of global MVA