Conservativism abhors change. That's the truth. But we must come to terms with the truth which is "the need for change in a rapidly changing world".
Thomas Khun envisioned a paradigm shift from existing paradigms when he framed his book, the Theory of Scientific Revolution. In that book, he was clear enough that for society to move forward, there must be a clear break from history. Change is therefore imperative for greater good to happen.
But people are conservative and congenitally too. They resist change. They hate to see the structure of society altered simply because it will upset their stranglehold on the local economy and governance.
But the society is in constant movement. It is fluid and open to change. History thus offers itself as an essential backdrop upon which are painted the struggles for change. There is always an ideological battle. The contest between two diametrically opposed systems.
History thus is therefore replete with an ideological battle between those who want to change the society and those who want the basic frays to remain intact. But the world over, agent provocateurs are winning.
Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is such an agent provocateur. He is on the side of a flourishing ideology that sets to battle the conservative predilections. Summing up the the thrust of his administration, having schooled himself in the basic prevailing structure of our society's governance, he declared emphatically that his administration will be "BUSINESS UNSUAL". What a fitting characterisation!.
Innovative disrupters all over the world are shakers of existing systems. They dare where others falter. They are courageous and have political will. They step on thorns and thistles rather than walk of foams. They rattle the structure and set the gods of the system into frenzy.
Among such leaders are Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Abraham Lincoln of America and many business leaders across the globe who latched unto disruptive approach to leadership. Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is one of such innovative leaders.
But is his name not Peter? Jesus looked at Simon and saw a wobbling, vacillating, unstable character who hardly stands his ground. It wasn't Simon's fault. The fault is in his name. Simon means Unstable and not firm. So Jesus went on to change his name to Peter. It was after that Simon became a zealot, firm, adroit, resolute and resilient.
So it is not out of order that our Governor, whose name is Peter, would live out his name.
A cursory look across the state will maximally show that Dr. Mbah is vigorously walking his talk. He is not to be caught vacillating. He says what he means and means what he says.
He came with the ambitious Smart School Project, The amazing and wonderful Transport interchange Terminal, the important Five Star 380 room Hotel, renovation of abandoned international conference centre, restoration of Hotel Presidential, revival of Emene NigerGas, Tax laws and a remodeled internally generated revenue regimen all which challenge the status quo and those who make gains from them.
All the noise you hear in protest against all these outstanding and innovative leadership derivable are the response of conservative elements in the society. They do not envision and neither tolerate any notion of change. It is in their blood. It is the air they breathe and anthem they sing.
But they have met their match. Peter is Peter. He has his vision. He knows his goal. He is focused on achieving them by upsetting the applechart. The conservatives must give way and recline to their shells. The tide is come and is rising incrementally to subsume all the past histories of development inertia. Change has come. Change has come to stay.
Enugu State is being turned into one theatre of mass development projects and critical infrastructures, designed to make it a leading destination among the comity of states, not just in Nigeria but across Africa.
Onyekachi C Ugwu
