To mark his birthday anniversary, philanthropist and community advocate, Hon. Monday Diamond Ani, has empowered 28 widows with cash support across communities in Enugu State, DAILY GAZETTE reports.

The empowerment exercise was carried out through the Monday Diamond Foundation (MDF), a non-governmental organisation established in 2015 to support vulnerable groups and promote youth development.

Beneficiaries of the initiative were drawn from Nkerefi, Mburubu, Nara, and a few other neighbouring communities in Nkanu East Local Government Area.

Our correspondent gathered that One of the beneficiaries was a widow from Burkina Faso, currently residing in Nara community, who was identified during a visit to Orie Nara Market.

The cash support was distributed in two phases, comprising direct cash transfers and physical cash presentations, aimed at easing the financial burden faced by widows.

Speaking during the outreach, Hon. Ani said widows occupy a special place in society and deserve consistent care and compassion.

“Widows are special people in our communities and should always be shown love and support,” he said.

He explained that although he usually avoids publicising his charitable activities, the birthday outreach was shared to acknowledge the contributions of friends who supported the initiative.

“This is the first time the foundation has received external financial support since its establishment. Over the years, MDF has been funded largely through my personal resources,” he noted.

Hon. Ani recalled that the foundation has previously intervened in emergency situations, including the construction of a bungalow in 2021 for a family in Akpugo whose home was destroyed by fire in Iva Valley, Enugu.

He expressed appreciation to individuals who supported the widows’ empowerment, including Dr. Uche Ogah, CON, Mr. Jameson, Mr. John Anaedo Onwubuya, Mr. Luis Holden, Comrade Ejimba Anthony, and Prof. Muna Nweke, among others.

The widows, many of whom were visibly emotional, expressed gratitude for the assistance and offered prayers for Hon. Ani and the continued success of the foundation.

Over the years, the Monday Diamond Foundation has organised and supported several civic and educational programmes, including IMT Debate (2015, 2016, 2018), Coal City Debate (2019), South East Debate (2021), National Debate (2022) and South East Youth Security Summit (2023).

The foundation has also provided scholarships and bursaries to 187 students across different parts of the country.

Opinion of Dr. Jeff Ejiofor,

Cities grow, people move, and with progress comes new challenges. Enugu, a city with a warm heartbeat, vibrant markets, and daily human hustle, has, in recent years, struggled under the weight of increasingly chaotic traffic.

Anyone who drives through Ogbete Market, New Haven, Artisan, or the Presidential Road axis understands how congested and stressful movement within the city can become.

It is against this backdrop that Gov. Peter Mbah’s decision to sanitise Enugu’s traffic by restricting tricycles (keke) and mini-buses from major roads should be supported.

The governor’s move is not merely an attempt to ban vehicles, but it is part of a wider effort to restore order, safety, and efficiency to the city’s transport system.

For many years, Enugu’s major roads have served as free-for-all spaces where every kind of vehicle, private cars, heavy-duty trucks, mini-buses, and kekes compete aggressively for limited road space.

The result has been predictable: gridlock, delayed work hours, avoidable accidents, and a general sense of disorganisation that affects the city’s image.

One of the strongest benefits of the governor’s initiative is improved traffic flow.

Tricycles and mini-buses, though extremely useful in short distance transportation, often make abrupt stops, overload passengers, or engage in lane indiscipline.

Their removal from major expressways could significantly ease movement, especially at peak hours. Anyone who has ever sat behind a slow-moving keke during rush hour knows how frustrating it can be.

There is also the argument for road safety. Statistics from traffic officers and hospital emergency units often show that smaller, lighter vehicles suffer the most casualties in collisions.

By diverting tricycles and mini-buses to inner streets and feeder roads where their use is more appropriate, the government aims to reduce traffic accidents on high-speed corridors.

Beyond safety and sanity, the policy hints at a larger vision: modernising the city’s transportation system.

Many global cities have gradually phased out low-capacity, high-frequency vehicles from major routes, replacing them with organised alternatives such as BRT buses, regulated taxis, ride-sharing services, or rail systems.

For Enugu to evolve into a clean, efficient, investor-friendly city, it must adopt similar strategies.

Orderly transportation is often one of the first things visitors notice about a place, and a cleaner transport landscape will strengthen Enugu’s reputation as a rising modern metropolis.

Still, no policy, no matter how well-intentioned, comes without pain. Tricycle operators, mini-bus drivers, and low-income commuters face genuine concerns about livelihood and mobility.

That is why transparent communication, proper alternative routes, support programmes, and gradual implementation remain critical. Urban reform is always a negotiation between aspiration and reality.

Yet, experience shows that cities that successfully modernise do so through shared commitment. When residents understand the long-term benefits of a difficult reform, they often become partners rather than adversaries.

Traffic sanity does not happen by decree alone. It grows through daily cooperation, motorists obeying lanes, pedestrians using designated crossings, and transport unions supporting the transition.

Gov. Mbah’s policy may be challenging for some, but it is rooted in a vision of a more organised, safer, and future-ready Enugu.

As history has shown in many developing cities, meaningful progress usually begins with difficult decisions.

Tomorrow is Here !

The Enugu State Government has set aside ₦10 billion in its 2026 budget as equity contribution for the first phase of a 135.4-kilometre standard-gauge rail project aimed at transforming transportation and boosting economic activities in the state.

The rail project, which forms part of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s vision for a multimodal transport system, is designed to link major cities within Enugu State and connect the state to neighbouring regions.

The government says the rail line will enhance regional trade, improve export capacity, and stimulate overall economic growth.

According to the state government, a feasibility study for the rail project has already been completed, while discussions are ongoing with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and Chinese construction firms to advance the project.

The initiative also complements other transport plans, including tram services and inland transport infrastructure.

In addition to the rail project, the government revealed plans to expand Enugu Air by adding 14 more aircraft, increasing the airline’s fleet to 20 planes by 2026.

The Akanu Ibiam International Airport concession is also expected to receive ₦10 billion as the state’s equity contribution under the 2026 budget.

Meanwhile, work is underway on a car assembly plant in the state, which is expected to assemble over 2,000 vehicles.

The project is targeted at youth empowerment and will also provide vehicles for taxi services and security agencies, including the police.

Tagged “Renewed Momentum,” the 2026 Enugu State budget has a total size of ₦1.62 trillion, with about 80 per cent allocated to capital expenditure.

The government says the spending plan is designed to accelerate economic growth, strengthen infrastructure, and promote human development across the state.

The National Commandant of the Nigeria Peace Corps, Dickson Akoh, and the organisation’s Director of Finance, Omolola Aminat Ahmed, have been arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja over an alleged ₦60 million fraud.

The two defendants were brought before Justice H. B. Yusuf by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges relating to the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the Peace Corps.

According to the EFCC, the accused persons were docked on a two-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of public funds.

Both Akoh and Ahmed pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read in court.

The EFCC alleged that in 2024, the defendants conspired to illegally divert funds meant for official purposes within the organisation.

One of the charges stated that the duo allegedly converted ₦46 million out of a total ₦60 million earmarked for the procurement of badges for personal use.

Prosecuting counsel, Khalid Sanusi, following the defendants’ not-guilty pleas, requested a trial date from the court.

Justice Yusuf subsequently adjourned the case to February 25, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

The court also granted both defendants bail in the sum of ₦5 million each, with one surety in like amount. The sureties are required to be reputable individuals resident in Abuja.

The EFCC confirmed the development in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.