This is stranger than fiction: At a time when the average Nigerian living in Nigeria has long been embraced by the insufferable wind of melancholy and can no longer conjure in their wildest dreams a light at the end of this eerily dark tunnel, I (a young indigene and inhabitant of Enugu State) am poised to relish the pure and crisp early morning wind of tomorrow—the tomorrow promised by 'the tenth man'. Unbelievable!
Like one akin to a superhero, the tenth man is enigmatic, unassuming, yet immodestly announced by his spectacular feats that leave many dazed. He seldom speaks; he appoints his feats as his spokesman. Such is the MO of the tenth man.
'The tenth man' is a name I coined to describe the governor-elect of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah because he is the 10th ruler the state has produced since it was formed on 27 August 1991 when it split from Anambra State; but, there is more to the name than meets the eye. Number 10 is a very spiritual number. It is said to represent new beginnings, fresh starts and new possibilities. In other words, if you are embarking on a new journey or phase of your life, number 10 is seen as a good omen. It may interest you to know that the election of Barr. Peter Mbah as our 10th ruler is divine and has ushered in a new era of growth, prosperity and opulence. Congratulations ndi Enugu!
Barr. Peter Mbah's victory at the polls didn't come as a surprise to me because the support from ndi Enugu for him was overwhelming; everything else was a circus! There were several doltish attempts by the opposition to debase his reputation with blunderingly crafted falsehoods, but every attempt was dead on arrival. And when the opposition went for the jugular, he handled the attack with impressive equanimity. He easily disproved every unintelligent allegation against him without breaking a sweat. I doff my hat to the tenth man. His rivals boarded the 'damage the reputation of Peter Mbah' train on numerous occasions and were jettisoned just as many times; that's the way the cookie crumbles. He had the wind at his back on every attempt. Against all odds, he eventually won the Enugu State gubernatorial election of 18 March 2023 without much ado. And now that his adversaries have made a conscious decision to play the ostrich by embarking on a journey that has landed them in a judicial cul de sac, he still has the wind at his back. When will they wake up and smell the coffee?
Out of a plethora of cogent reasons, I have a prediction (Perhaps we can call it a prophecy?) that in the coming months, one of two things will happen: the government led by Barr. Peter Mbah will either succeed or it will succeed in an unprecedented manner—videlicet, he is certain to succeed, the question is to what degree. My unequivocal verdict is that the tenth man is a disruptive innovator amongst other things. He understands the rudiments of success and undoubtedly knows how to create something out of nothing, having started his company Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited with a meagre capital of 1 million naira and gas since grown it into a company worth over 1 billion dollars. That is an essential prerequisite for governance, permit me to say. Leadership should be about managing people and resources, and his bewildering achievements as the CEO of Pinnacle Oil are a telltale that his administration is set to govern with force of action not word of mouth. (Pinnacle Oil is currently the numero-uno in the downstream oil and gas industry of Nigeria.)
I must hasten to add that the force of action I speak about is conspicuously evident in the consummate and crackerjack 64-man transition committee conjured and compiled by the governor-elect. This transition committee led by Ike Chioke, an investment expert and Group Managing Director of Afrinvest (West Africa), has the requisite experience to help the governor-elect bring to fruition his "implementable and impactful development plan" for Enugu. A thorough analysis of the transition committee commissioned by the governor-elect has sparked in ndi Enugu a renewed vigour, an ecstatic anticipation of what is to come. It is evident, now, that his emergence is a catalyst for the prosperity and joy that lurks ahead. He truly possesses the magic wand and talismanic effect, he is a good wine that needs no bush.
I'm optimistic about the future of ndi Enugu. Gone are those days when we would be the butt of jokes everywhere we went. We were denigrated, often condescendingly so, in ways that incited displeasure, not because the criticism wasn't valid, but because we were fully aware that we possessed so much untapped potential. Enugu has never been short of whiz kids or potentials of boom, however, what we have been in dire need of is a visionary who has the capacity to tap into our wealth of potential, utilize it for growth, and put us on the map. Fortunately, the visionary has come and at last, a glistening future has berthed at the palm of our hands. To God be the glory.
I have chosen to go public with this panegyric because at the very least, I want it to be on record that I spoke publicly, out of genuine love and concern for ndi Enugu, of how much faith I have in the governor-elect and his imminent administration. I will also criticize very publicly this administration if she fails to meet my expectations, which is very unlikely. However, until then, I await the unfolding of the tomorrow promised by the tenth man with bated breath, heightened optimism and a basket filled with hope.
