Tears and Outrage at Nsukka Synod: PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate Chijioke Ugwu Exposes Mbah’s Brutal Ogige Market Demolition, Collapsing Smart Schools, and ₦50 Billion Hotel Heist

The spiritual and cultural heartland of Nsukka became the epicenter of political reckoning on Sunday as the annual Synod of the Diocese of Nsukka, Anglican Communion, turned into a solemn and fiery tribunal against the oppressive misrule of Governor Peter Mbah. Attended by prominent political figures, including Enugu State Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai, Federal Lawmaker Chidi Mark Obeta, and NDC Deputy Governorship candidate Frank Okenwa Omeje, the sacred gathering was jolted by raw truths regarding the unprecedented suffering inflicted on the people of Nsukka.

​Representing the incoming Governor of Enugu State, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Nwakaibie), the PDP Deputy Governorship candidate, Chijioke Ugwu, stepped forward to speak truth to power, rousing the deep emotions of the congregation. Ugwu laid bare the bleeding wound that continues to sever the Mbah administration from the Nsukka cultural zone: the callous, uncompensated demolition of the historic Ogige Market. To the utter shock of listeners, Ugwu revealed the devastating human toll of that wicked exercise, placing on record that over 72 former shop owners have tragically died from trauma, frustration, and acute economic hardship after losing their only sources of livelihood—only for the sacred trading ground to be seized and converted into a motor park and a petrol station.

​Moved by the profound tragedy, Ugwu led the congregation in emotional prayers for the peaceful repose of the souls of the deceased victims and for the surviving families struggling to pick up the pieces. But he did not stop there, turning his fire toward the structural and financial malfeasance plaguing the state under the current regime. He exposed how the so-called "Smart Schools" being touted by the administration are collapsing under the weight of substandard construction work, posing grave dangers to the safety of innocent children. He painted a grim picture of Nsukka during the rainy season, where impassable roads and infrastructural neglect have reduced a proud university town to a messy sight, declaring that Ndi Enugu can no longer continue on this destructive path.

​Bringing his critique to the corridors of executive financial recklessness, Ugwu challenged the church and the public to examine the outrageous cost of governance under Mbah. He pointedly interrogated the phantom figures surrounding state expenditures, drawing attention to a staggering ₦50 billion budgeted for the rehabilitation of Hotel Presidential—funds that have vanished into a bottomless pit while the project remains endlessly ongoing without accountability.

​Despite the desperate attempts by the incumbent Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, to defend the indefensible and call for political debates and support, the atmosphere belonged entirely to the gale of accountability. Adding weight to words through compassionate action, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Nwakaibie) made a generous donation of ₦2 million to support the Synod. More importantly, Nwakaibie pledged that his incoming administration will establish a dedicated liaison office to ensure a seamless interface with the church, transforming the Synod into a robust platform for advancing humanity, alleviating poverty, and protecting the vulnerable.

​The Nsukka Synod sent an unmistakable message to the powers that be in Enugu: you cannot demolish people's livelihoods, replace markets with fuel stations, build collapsing schools, siphon billions into phantom hotel rehabilitations, and expect the people to stay silent. Ndi Enugu have seen the light, and come 2027, the ballot box will deliver total liberation!