By Reuben Onyishi
(Ugoachataberu)
In two years, Enugu has seen unprecedented level of disruptive innovation, transformative governance and exceptional performance in security, water management system, road infrastructure, revamping of moribund assets, the New Enugu Smart City, Enugu International Hospital, smart green schools, type 2 primary healthcare, electricity, transport interchange projects, Enugu Air, the bringing in of CNG buses, ENGIS, payment of new minimum wage of 80,000, clearance of arrears of pensions running into billions, payment of backlog of gratuities, to mention no more. Alas! Enugu has not had it so good. It is intentional; it is promise made and kept; it is the puritanical implementation of the manifesto unfolded on 22nd October 2022.
Upon his assumption of office in in May, 2023, Governor Mbah, within the first week, pronounced an end to Monday sit-at-home being perpetrated by some non-state actors, and which had rendered the entire South East down and out. Besides the insecurity implication of the sit-at-home, the economy of the South East was affected. Between August 9, 2021, and December 19, 2022, the South East had spent 71 days observing sit-at-home and had in turn lost over N5.375 trillion (&12.215 billion). This is according to investigation funded by the International Centre for Investigation Report (ICIR). Investors' confidence in the South East had been eroded, and the economy had run comatose. As a matter of fact, the region's micro businesses lost N4.618 trillion (&10.495 billion) annually to sit-at-home. This was the situation Mbah met on the ground and up with which he would not put. He pronounced an end to it and let the heavens fall. And the heavens did not fall. Apart from the untold influence on the economy, it is on record that over 500 persons lost their lives to sit-at-home in the South East.
But Mbah did not stop at that. He set up the Distress Response Squad, trained the personnel, and equipped them with over 200 vehicles imbued with AI-embeded surveillance cameras with the capacity for plate number and name recognition. The DRS patrols the entire length and breadth of the state combating crimes. With the AI-embedded cameras, surveillance, speedy communication and easy policing are made possible even as the analytic capacity of the cameras aid the process. Not just that, Mbah also built the Command and Control Centre from where the entire state is monitored realtme.The centre is replete with many security gadgets as well as AI cameras in communication with the cameras installed in strategic positions all over the state. With this, security data is processed and analysed speedily and action taken. This is in addition to the operations of the other security apparachink like the police, civil defence, neighbourhood watch and forest guards.
Enugu had battled paucity of water supply over the years. This was occasioned by the topography of the state capital and large deposite of coal on the ground. Mbah pulled the strunt within 180 days when he caused to be generated 120 million litres on a daily basis, contrary to the 2 million litres that were being generated before. He built the Nineth Mile 24/7 Water Scheme that has the capacity to generate 70 million litres of water and the Oji River Water Scheme that generates another 50 million litres, making it a total of 120 million litres. This he achieved in 180 days. It happened that contrary to expectation, many residential homes had been built on waterways, the implication being that many buildings would be demolished in the course of reticuĺating water to various homes. Quite another was the unexpected bursting of asbestos pipes installed durìng the colonial days as they could not withstand the water pressure. These were the challenges encountered at the downstream level, but then Mbah would bring investors into the downstream water management system so that the government may address itself to other things. This paid off as the investors have begun the process of taking water to the last mile in the state.
In road infrastructure, the Mbah Administration has shown much strength and capacity. Impatient with the state of Enugu roads, Mbah unleashed the paving of over 300 roads in Enugu metropolis and in the rural areas. On January 4, 2025, President Tinubu commissioned 90 paved roads within Enugu. Mbah had flagged off another 161 roads in Enugu of which 20 were in the rural areas, some of them with bridges. These roads include the Opi-Ugwuogo Road, the Owo-Amankanu-Ubahu-Isi-Uzo-Obollo Road, which, as a matter of fact, was partly commissioned by the president; the Ama-Olo-Ezeagu-Umulokpa Road, the Amechi Idodo- Amagu Nze Road and others. The idea was to seamlessly connect the three senatorial zones together that one could link up to any part of Enugu State. Not done with roads, Mbah also flagged off another 141 roads in Enugu metropolis. The streets are on fire as work is being done here and there. This is in line with the plan to construct 1,250 kilometres of roads every year. The implication is that in 8 years, the Mbah Administration shall have constructed 10,000 kilometres of roads. Mbah would brook no mud roads in Enugu, and it does appear war is declared on road construction and rehabilitation.
Mbah also built an asphalt plant that churns out 160 tones of asphalt in an hour. This targets the feeding of the various road projects. It points to the fact that Mbah would not mince words when it comes to road construction as the asphalt plant readily feeds the projects. This is without even considering the job creation implication of the asphalt plant, which employs over 500 persons.
In its drive to rev up the state's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), without recourse to taxation, the Mbah Administration set out to revamp high revenue yielding assets. And so, the Mbah Administration built the Enugu International Conference Centre to a state-of-the-art architecture. The ICC is built to world-class good taste.The ICC has the capacity to contain over 5000 persons in an event. Quite another is the Hotel Presidential that had been in ruins for many years.That also is fixed and repackaged to good flavour. Niger Gas, Sunrise Flour Mills and ANAMCO have also been revamped. As a matter of fact, Niger Gas has currently advertised positions for recruitment of employees. Mbah also attracted an investment of N100 billion to the United Palms Products Limited(UPPL) through public-private partnership (PPP).
There is also the Enugu International Conference Centre Hotel being constructed. This is a five-star hotel meant to complement the Enugu International Conference Centre as a 5000 capacity conference centre would also require at least 10,000 keys. This is one of the enablers of the ICC and the making of Enugu, a conferencing hub. It is in line with the Mbah Administration's quest to make Enugu the first choice destination for investment, business, tourism and leisure. The hotel will be containing 335 rooms made up of 224 single rooms, 64 business suites, 25 diplomatic suites, and two presidential suites and every other facility that will enable the hotel function as a five-star hotel.The construction is ongoing and woukd be rounded off in no time.
Enugu was being congested as a result of the influx of people into the city. There is a need to build a new city that would contain the massive influx of people into the city. The Mbah administration, therefore, set about building the New Enugu Smart City. The New Enugu City traverses 10,000 hectares of land spanning four local governments: Enugu East, Enugu South, Nkanu East, and Nkanu West.The city will compare to any city you can think about in all the world. It would warehouse such skyscrapers as found in Dubai and Singapore. It would also have three artificial islands, namely Happy Island, Vitality Bay, and the Innovation Park, designed with first city features in mind. There is high-speed Internet connectivity and centralised public utilities like central sewage system, gas, and constant electricity with a dedicated power plant. Already, work has begun there as the China Comminication and Construction Company (CCCC) to whom the contract is awarded is already running a 17 kilometres feeder road and other appurtenaces there.
Adjacent the Enugu International Conference Centre is being constructed the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital, a multi-specialty hospital that would reduce the incidence of medical tourism abroad. This is a world-class hospital where all manner of ailments would be treated without having recourse to medical tourism abroad.This is making Enugu a medical tourist hub in Africa.The hospital when operational shall offer such services as general medicine, emergency department, surgical services, obstetrics and gynaecology, intensive care unit, cardiology, oncology, neurology, radiology and imaging, laboratory services, pharmacy, nutritional services, physical therapy and rehabilitation. It will also serve as a training and research hub for medical students in the country. The Mbah administration is collaborating with medical professionals in the Diaspora who would want to repatriate their services to motherland.The state is also targeting a substantial share of the overseas medical tourism market, which is above $1 billion. The hospital is nearly completed.
One other area where Mbah has made remarkable stride is the social services sector. Education alone takes a large chunk of the Enugu State Budget of Exponential Growth and Inclusive Prosperity. Out of the total sum of N971.8 billion budget sum, education takes N320,609,590,000.00, which is over 33 per cent of the entire budget sum. Governor Mbah is building 260 Smart schools in the 260 wards of the state. The smart green schools are world-class with facilities for the teaching of mechatronics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, ICT skills, vocational skills, science and technology, and cognitive education. The Enugu child would be exposed to experiential learning as they are picked from cretch to JSS3 and then taught free of charge. The implication is that even if the child does nothing else, they would be able to stand on their own and offer services to organizations and individuals within and outside the country. Getting one smart school fixed takes up to N1.2 billion. So, the smart schools take over N260 billion. This is something any other administration could have done in eight years but is now being rounded off in two years. By September 2025, the 260 smart schools shall be opening their doors to the new students. Besides the smart schools, primary and secondary schools in Enugu are receiving adequate attention following the interventions by ENSUBEB and PPSMB. At the tertiary level, Governor Mbah is bringing the innovation on experiential learning to bear, even as major departments are receiving accreditation for their courses as a result of the facilities they have got. Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Institute of Management and Technology, State University for Medical and Applied Sciences(SUMAS)have all been favourably accreditated with requisite disciplines.
Healthcare is another area the Mbah Administration has given maximum focus. Besides the Enugu International Hospital, the Mbah Administration is building 260 type 2 hospitals in the 260 electoral wards of the state. A large number of the PHCs has been turned in, and the contractors yet to deliver are at the completion stage. This is bringing healthcare to the people at the grassroots. There are yet about 7 types 3 hospitals even as more is being added. What this means is that the Mbah Administration would not joke with healthcare as it is extended to the locals leveraging telemedicine and highly equipped medical facilities.
Following the decoupling of power from the Exclusive List, Enugu State was the first to craft the electricity bill, which the House of Assembly passed into law. Then, the Mbah Administration set up the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission to oversee the electricity market and its value chain of generation, transmission, and distribution. Already, many players have come into the market even as an MOU for the generation of I50 Megawatts has been signed with a company called Niels and Stanley.
There is yet a negotiation with a company that has affiliation with General Electric to do another 100 Megawatt coal-fired power plant. There is also a discussion with the Chinese company, Sino -Energy, to do both CNG an coal-fired power plants to generate 50 Megawatts each. By bringing many players in the electricity market, the Mbah Administration has opened it up for competition, and competition will bring out the best in the players, make for efficiency, effectiveness and economy. The Enugu electricity market is regulated in such a way that the people are not exploited. The idea is to ensure that the unserved and undeserved are fully taken care of, as the issue of metering and estimated billing is addressed.
Transportation is one of the integrated productive sector that has received a major push by the Mbah Administration. The transport interchange projects in Holy Ghost, Abakpa, Gariki and Nsukka hold to the gaze of Ndi Enugu the transformative wonders of the Mbah Administration, the disruptive innovation. A cursory look at the terminals would first give the impression it is an airport.This project aims to address traffic congestion, improve security, and reduce criminal activities. Each has a 25-room motel, cinema, arrival lounge, departure lounge, gas, petrol and CNG filling station, and other appurtenaces that make travelling through the terminals a memorable experience.
The CNG buses numbering 200 has been brought in to serve the interchange terminals. This is one major breakthrough of the Mbah Administration meant to reduce transport costs to the barest minimum for the people of Enugu State. The Enugu State Government is rolling out a fleet of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of a broader initiative to improve transportation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.The rollout is part of a larger plan to launch a state airline, smart transport programmes, and new transport terminals.Key aspects of the CNG bus rollout in Enugu involves sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
The CNG buses are intended to be a more sustainable and affordable alternative to traditional fuel-powered buses, contributing to a greener transportation system.The state is aiming for a 200-unit fleet of CNG buses, which will be deployed to serve high-density routes across Enugu metropolis.To support the new buses, the government is investing in infrastructure upgrades, including dedicated lanes, charging stations, and maintenance hubs.
The CNG buses are expected to improve public transport by offering a more reliable and affordable option for commuters.Beyond CNG buses, the state is also planning to introduce electric taxis and implement smart transport systems, further enhancing the transportation sector.
Enugu Air is quite another.Enugu Air is a new airline that has been launched by the Mbah Administration, and it is meant to boost the state's economy and position it as an aviation hub.The airline aims to significantly boost passenger traffic to and fro the state. It will also create numerous employment opportunities for Enugu residents in various aviation roles. It also aims to invest in training programmes to develop talents and equip them with the skills needed to work in the aviation industry. By offering competitive travel option and attracting airlines to the state, Enugu can become a major aviation hub in the South East. Launching the airline will no doubt impact positively on the various aspects of the state's economy, including tourism, trade and investment. It is a bold initiative that demonstrates the Mbah Administration's commitment to economic development and the creation of a prosperous future for the citizens of Enugu State.
One promise MÉ“ah made in his manifesto was to move the MDAs from pipeline to platforms in order to make for limited human interference and effective seamless operations.This he has done by migrating the 112 MDAs to e-platforms. This is one way to build institutions that would outlive his administration. Self-service is made possible, and it follows that government institutions can run on their own with minimal human inputs. A good example is the Enugu State Geographic Information System deployed in the area of land administration. This means that all lands in the state have been captured into the system. Individuals seeking information about land can on their own access it. One can, within 72 hours, process land documents, including Certificate of Occupancy.
Governor Mbah has left nothing undone. He is meticulous and eagle-eyed. And so, he has multisectoraĺly touched everywhere. While the federal government was still negotiating the new minimum wage, Mbah, bearing in mind the economic situation, offered to pay the Enugu worker a new minimum wage of N80,000 (Eighty thousand naira). And that is being paid to date. As a matter of fact, Mbah is up to date in his financial obligations. Before now, a retiree would have to wait for Godot before hìs gratuity is paid. That is, if it ever gets paid.But Mbah has directed the payment of all outstanding arrears of gratuities. Part of the directive is that all gratuities be paid as soon as one retires from the civìĺ service at the state and the local government levels. Recall also that as soon as he came on board, Mbah paid all outstanding pensions owed state retirees running up to N̈50 billion.
Alas! There is no art to capture all there is to the Mbah Administration in singular writing such as this.Yet all these were done in two years. It has been two years of disruptive innovation, transformative governance and exceptional performance multisectorally unleashed.
