By Dr Reuben Onyishi
(Ugoachataberu)
The people of Enugu State have seen enough to know their Governor is a man of excellence on all fours. Awards deluge torrentially, ecomiums pour profusely locally and internationally; laurels and accolades flow to him like the river in many dimensions.
Since Mbah became the Governor of Enugu State, he has won the Governor of the year consecutively for three years now, not just from one source but from many reputable organisations ranging from New Telegraph Newspaper, the Sun, Vanguard, Leadership, to mention but four. They all speak to Mbah’s exceptional leadership qualities founded on exceptional delivery of quality governance to his people of Enugu State.
And this is not politics. It is a clear demonstration of visible leadership characteristics, excellent governance policies, reforms, inimitable achievements and excellent delivery on projects.
While Mbah was yet in the PDP, he had won two awards of excellence from the APC-led presidency. The presidency could not afford to overlook what the smart young governor was doing in Enugu State. While the president visited Enugu State, he bared his heart on the excellence Mbah had brought to bear on the leadership of the people of Enugu State,and richly poured praises on the governor for his delivery of quality road infrastructure, smart schools, type 2 hospitals, new Enugu smart city and many other projects, reforms and deliverables running into about ten thousand.
Mbah has maintained the tempo and the people are treated to new developments, innovations, unprecedented projects and utter transformation of the state. Mbah, since he became governor of Enugu State, has sifted the state from the nave to the chap. He has multisectorally made tremendous impacts, so much that there is no MDA in the state that has not experience his touch of transformation.
And so, accolades and awards occur to him in algebraic quantum. The other day, in 2021, when he had not even become governor, Godfrey Okoye University conferred on the governor, honorary doctorate degree (honoraris Causa) in Political Science. On December 21, 2024, the prestigious citadel of learning, the University of Nigeria Nsukka, conferred on Mbah the honorary doctorate degree in law during its 53rd convocation ceremony. The implication of honorary doctorate degree is that the university has found the person on whom the degree is vested worthy of a doctorate degree without undergoing the processes of studies and thesis required. It means that the recipient has so much distinguished themselves in that discipline so much that what they have got is more than a decorate. Indeed, Mbah has so much distinguished himself in entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation and many disciplines that he is considered to have earned a doctorate in them. But like the Shakespearean Macbeth would say, the greater is behind.
Perhaps, the greatest of the awards comes from his alma mater, the University of East London, which on Thursday, September 10, 2026, conferred on Mbah honorary doctorate degree in Law. Mbah took his first degree in Law at the University of East London (UEL) in 2000, that is 26 years ago, and had distinguished himself in leadership, entrepreneurship and innnovation while he was there. He became the president of the Students’ Law Society which he helped transform into one recognised as the university’s most productive society of the year. He also represented his fellow students on the Students’ Representative Council and School of Law Board, won UEL’s Mooting Competition and went on to represent the university at the International Negotiation Competition. A chick that would hatch a cockerel is first know in the egg. Mbah had shown of what mettle he was made as early as his days in school and it was just a question of time for the greatness in him to manifest.
While reading a citation on Mbah at the Docklands Campus of UEL, Vice Provost (Business) Executive Dean, Royal Docks School of Business and Law, Professor Fatima Ana-Dian, recalled Mbah ‘s academic and leadership excellence as a student, which she said he had also translated to resounding success as an entrepreneur and governor of Enugu State. Of Mbah, she said, “ His commitment to development extends beyond education, Through public service, business and philanthropy, Peter has championed investment, innovation, infrastructure, healthcare and community development, bringing the disciplines that have shaped his own career to pursue a wider vision for economic and social progress.” The professor captured the Mbah we know in utter exactitude in those few words. Mbah is a champion, to put it in a most appropriate redaction and succinctness. He has championed many developments, innovations and reforms in so disruptive a manner that all complacency and orthodoxy are demolished and newness brought to bear in excellent and most productive manner leveraging technology.
Congratulations to the man of many abilities, the disruptive innovator par excellence, the erudite scholar, the champion on all fours, an excellent leader and a go-getter governor of Enugu State. Enugu could not have asked for any one else. That is why his re-election is fait accompli. God bless Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the performing governor of Enugu State.
