By: Honorable Pedro Okwudili Nwankwo
In an era demanding urgency, creativity, and a disruption of the status quo, the pride of having Governor Peter Mbah at the helm of Enugu State could not be more profound. His administration has ushered in a rebirth, marked by a myriad of development projects that have stunned both admirers and adversaries.
The transcendental leadership and impactful governance Governor Mbah has unleashed on the state within one year in office is indescribably unprecedented. Never in the history of Enugu State had so much been accomplished within such a short time by an administration that ostensibly has seven more years to go.
Governor Mbah is a sophisticated leader who creatively thinks ahead of time and has a knack for translating his lofty thoughts and ideas into reality. He is a transformative leader with an impatience for excusable non-performance. Mbah goes granular and clears every stump on the road to the transformation of Enugu State. He identifies the elephant in the room and is abreast of strategies to escort it out. The blueprints and financial models had first been crafted in his manifesto, and every bit of it is being implemented with religious devotion, unbowed to the cyclone and the tempest blowing from any quarter of the horizon.
Background and Vision:
Coming from a background of monumental entrepreneurial capacity in the downstream oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy, Mbah has replicated his many exploits in the private sector. He understands how to fix the myriad challenges facing leadership in the public sector. Simply put, Mbah holds the key to unlocking the economic prosperity of the state. He has opened many doors leading to the exponential growth of the Enugu economy, aiming for a proposed tune of $30 billion. Mbah is driven by transcendent values and a selfless commitment to community service at the subnational level.
Security and Business Development:
Governor Mbah began with security to bring back peace and tranquility in Enugu and scale up business development. Four days after his inauguration, precisely on June 3, 2023, he placed an immediate ban on the illegal sit-at-home order by non-state actors in Enugu. This also rubbed off on other Southeast states, making the sit-at-home syndrome a thing of the past. To ensure sustained security and a crime-free Enugu, Mbah launched the Distress Response Squad (DRS) in July, equipped with modern security tools and a toll-free number for emergencies. He procured over 100 vehicles with security surveillance cameras capable of plate-number and facial recognition to patrol the state and rid it of crimes and insecurity.
Further enhancing security and business, Mbah engaged with the Nigerian Navy to establish a naval base at Ogurugu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government. This base will tighten security, open up waterways for international business, and boost Enugu's economy, given Uzo-Uwani's agricultural advantage.
Environmental and Urban Renewal:
During his campaign, Governor Mbah promised to clear refuse off Enugu's streets within the first 100 days in office. In June 2023, he fulfilled this promise by clearing all refuse heaps in Enugu's capital city and Nsukka and procuring over 20 refuse compactor trucks to ensure cleanliness. His urban renewal program has seen the clearing of slums within cities and the building of ultramodern station terminals to ease traffic congestion at identified flashpoints.
Investment and Economic Growth;
In his passionate drive to attract investments and make for a thriving Enugu economy, Mbah attracted the establishment of a UK Visa Centre in Enugu in August 2023. This initiative, in partnership with the federal government, operationalizes the international and cargo wings of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, boosting the visa centre's functionality and facilitating easy access to visas and flights from Enugu.
Social Welfare and Pension Payments:
In June 2023, Governor Mbah started the verification and payment of arrears of unpaid pensions and gratuities accumulated since 1999. This is in line with his campaign promise to begin paying off pension and gratuity backlog within his first 100 days in office. As of today, the pension arrears running into billions of naira have all been cleared by the Mbah administration.
Revenue Generation and Mining Sector Reforms:
To sustain the Enugu environment and plug income leakages, Mbah banned illegal mining and brought order to the coal mining sector. Cases of non-remittance of environmental fees and PAYEE to the state coffers were stopped, and the state has since realized billions of naira from these fees. The sector is expected to add N500 billion to Enugu’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Mbah also introduced a unified e-ticketing scheme to curb loopholes in revenue generation. This tightening of revenue leakages saw Enugu's IGR leap from N2 billion to over N4.3 billion monthly in 2023, and it has now soared to N10 billion in 2024.
Infrastructure and Education;
Governor Mbah has started building 260 smart green schools in Enugu, one in each of the 260 political wards. The schools will teach special areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual realities, vocational, and ICT skills. The first model of the school was completed in November 2023 and is operational, with additional 135 smart schools under construction.
Healthcare:
In healthcare, the governor has begun building 260 type-2 primary healthcare centers in the 260 wards in Enugu. These centers are designed to meet global standards, ensuring affordable healthcare is available to all Enugu residents.
Infrastructure and Economic Development:
In October 2023, Governor Mbah began the construction of the New Enugu City, a 40km dual carriageway, 10 intrastate roads, and 71 urban roads. The New Enugu City, awarded to the Chinese Communication and Construction Company (CCCC), will be completed in 24 months and is estimated to generate about N500 billion in revenue for the state. It consists of the Happy Island, the Vitality Bay, and the Innovation Park, and is set to decongest Enugu and provide significant tourism value.
Water Supply and Workers’ Welfare:
Governor Mbah promised to solve the age-long water scarcity in Enugu metropolis within his first 180 days in office. On November 25, 2023, exactly 180 days into his tenure, Mbah commissioned a 24/7 water scheme at Ninth Mile, Enugu, producing 70 million liters of water per day. The Oji water scheme is also being upgraded to produce 50 million liters of water per day, ensuring a reliable water supply for the state.
In November, the governor began the payment of additional cash awards of N10,000 and N25,000 to state workers until a new minimum wage is likely decided. Mbah also increased the state's social register enrollment from 43,000 to 260,000, aiming to lift more indigent citizens out of poverty through cash transfers and other interventions.
Creative Funding and Asset Activation:
Given the preponderance of projects, it is only logical that clear sources of funding be explored. Governor Mbah charted alternative finance models, activating the state's dormant assets into productive ventures. The state's international conference center, left uncompleted since 1999, is now on the verge of completion. Additionally, Mbah laid the foundation for the construction of a 5-star hotel in preparation for the reactivation of the international wing of Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
Revamping State Assets:
The moribund Enugu Hotel Presidential received life as Mbah awarded its reconstruction. The Mbah administration also entered into a N100 billion deal with Pragmatic Palms Limited to revamp the United Palm Products Limited, another asset of the state wasting away over the years.
The administration is set to revamp many state assets lying moribund, such as Niger Gas, Nigercem, AVOP, the ceramic company at Nachi, and the Aluminum Smelting Company at Ohebedim. The Mbah administration is also tapping various mineral resources in the state, including natural gas, glass sand, clay minerals, iron ore, limestone, and alum.
The transformative leadership of Governor Peter Mbah has brought unprecedented development and progress to Enugu State within just one year in office. From security and business development to environmental renewal, investment attraction, social welfare, and infrastructure, Mbah's achievements signal a transformative era for Enugu State, promising continued success and growth. As the people of Enugu reflect on their choice at the polls, there is a collective sense of fulfillment and patriotism, celebrating the triumph of democracy and the bright future ahead under Governor Mbah's administration.
Hon Pedro Okwudili Nwankwo is the immediate past Chairman of Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State.
