The police command in Enugu State has been accused of arresting seven construction workers at a multi-billion-naira federal government bio-methanol plant in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area.
According to the Energy Commission of Nigeria which owns the project, the workers were arrested on Friday by police operatives led by the council chairmen of Nkanu East and Nkanu West.
The agency, which is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, accused the Government of Enugu State led by Governor Peter Mbah of trying to frustrate the construction of the N40 billion project, initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
An official, Mr E. Okeke, who narrated the incident to some journalists in Enugu on Sunday, claimed that the workers were briefly detained at the RRS Unit of the Government House in Enugu before they were later moved to the Anti-Kidnapping section at Independence Layout, Enugu.
According to him, the police allegedly stormed the site in company with the local government chairmen of Nkanu East and Nkanu West and arrested the workers.
Those reportedly arrested were identified as Ambrose Edeh, Chibuike Edeh, Monday Nwodo, Obinna Samuel, Ebuka Chukwurah, Chibuike Okereke, and Maduabuchi Okoro.
“The police officers also removed batteries of the earth moving machines at the site, in order to stall the construction activities.
“The construction workers arrested were detained briefly at RRS, Government House Enugu and later moved to Anti-Kidnapping section at Independence Layout, Enugu and around midnight moved to State CID,” Okeke said.
Meanwhile, some community leaders have expressed anger over the state government’s actions.
They claim that the state government’s actions are politically motivated and aimed at frustrating the federal government’s investment in the state.
One of the elders of the host community, Chief John Ogbodo, who spoke to journalists at the site, described the alleged action of the state government as politically motivated, “since the project was attracted by Chief Uche Nnaji, the governorship candidate of the APC in Enugu State during the 2023 general elections”.
The elders noted that the bio-methanol project, along with a similar N60 billion Solar PV project, has the potential to provide employment to tens of thousands of Enugu state youths and transform the economy of Enugu and the South-East region.
Sources at the local government told journalists that Nkanu leaders were angry with alleged action of the state government, seen as an effort to frustrate the Federal Government’s investment in their area.
The land where the project was located was donated to the Federal Government by the community, a source told our reporter.
The N40 billion bio-methanol project is one of the biggest projects being undertaken in the South-East region by the President Tinubu’s administration.
The methanol project, paired with the N60 billion Solar PV project aimed at producing solar panels, boasts a combined potential to create job opportunities for youths in Enugu State.
When contacted, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said he was not aware of the incident.
“I don’t have a report of such arrest, please,” he simply said in a text message.
Governor Peter Mbah denied the allegations and described the project as not genuine, adding that it is a landing-grabbing scheme.
Governor Mbah’s Special Assistant on Media, Dan Nwaome, who spoke to our reporter simply, said: “There is no such federal government project.”
“It’s a land-grabbing scheme. Enugu State government has always provided lands for genuine federal projects sited in the state,” he added.
