The Enugu State Youth Reform is a diasporan initiative charged with the responsibility of showing solidarity to the leadership of the state and ensuring that citizens make an informed choice on who becomes the next leader.
The election season calls for careful introspection into the lives of all candidates presenting themselves as the chief executive of the state.
The Youth Reform Initiative has undertaken detailed investigative research into the lives of the leading gubernatorial candidates in Enugu to present the most viable candidate to deliver the best leadership that will see Enugu state flourish.
The publication assures the public that it is devoid of any bias towards the candidates.
Out of over fifteen potential governors in the forthcoming elections in Enugu State, the initiative has investigated the lives of Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Frank Nnaemeka Nweke Jr of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Donatus Ozoemena of the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Uche Nnaji of the All Progressive Congress (APC), and Edeoga Chijioke of the Labour Party (LP).
Comparatively, Dr. Peter Mbah is the most viable candidate among the candidates, under the following observations:
Childhood and Life Philosophy
Dr. Peter hails from Ashishi Owo, Nkanu East LGA of Enugu State and has lived in several regions of the country, including the South-South and South-Western parts of Nigeria. His varied social-cultural exposure has evidently helped him navigate through the hurdles of corporate leadership, which requires the skill of selecting a team irrespective of cultural affiliation and one that does not discriminate.
Several snippets from his autobiography, including his honorary award lecture at Godfrey Okoye University, recount his life philosophies and principles, which he has adopted and have obviously helped him remain dogged in the pursuit of self-realisation, fulfilment, and self-actualization. His orientation that an individual is capable of achieving success no matter the location and time of his birth has played out in his life. He has become an element of admiration to many youths in Enugu State.
The initiative believes that the journals of one’s childhood are the most accurate pointer to their true personality and should not be weighted along with other antecedents. Dr. Mbah’s piety to his country and state has led him to make sacrifices that most people would not ordinarily have made.
Education and Awards
Dr. Mbah has been a beneficiary of Western education and a lover of it too. He has attended several citadels of learning both home and abroad as he rose to fortune and fame. This demonstrates his acquisition of the most important trait of revolutionary leaders – Leaders and Readers. He has extended the same opportunity to Nigerians by establishing educational institutions that offer the best learning experiences and high dividends to both individuals and society.
Some of his academic laurels include LLB. University of East London; MBA. IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona Spain; Post Graduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and an honorary doctorate degree in Political Science.
All of his academic pursuits were objectively chosen and geared towards equipping him for an excellent professional and political career.
It is a no-brainer that the quality of education in the state has plummeted in the last couple of years. It takes a leader who understands that good education is an investment in the lives of individuals and society to uphold the values of learning institutions at all levels. Dr. Mbah has established one of the high-ranking schools in the country – FOCUS International Schools. This places him above other candidates in this category because he has made a real investment in what contributed to his rise.
He has also sponsored several pupils and students and donated immensely to several libraries; all to bequest our society a better place.
Public Service
Dr. Peter Mbah previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Enugu State Government from 2003 to 2007. He also served as the state’s Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development. Under his leadership in that capacity, the state witnessed an uncommon development in its fiscal operations through the strategy document Dr. Mbah developed, which has served as a blueprint for Enugu State government’s development programs.
His ability to observe the challenges of the state as a very young man and offer innovative and sustainable solutions showed his innate wisdom and leadership prowess. He eliminated unnecessary bureaucracy and made himself available to his team and the public. We have recorded several testimonials of his humility and empathy towards his people while in office.
Entrepreneurship
At the age of 20, Peter Mbah established his first company, Peter Mbah Investments Limited, a company that provided services in the oil and gas industry, as an entrepreneur. He also founded GILPEL Industries Ltd., which imported general goods from 1993 to 1997, and established FOCUS International Schools in Lagos state.
Mbah is also the sole agent for International Oil Corporation, a United States-based oil and gas company. His entrepreneurial fortitude also led him to establish one of the most successful energy companies known as Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd., which has witnessed exceeding success and achievements in the sector.
Under his leadership, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd completed the Single Point Monitoring (SPM), Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM), and storage facilities, making his company one of the most viable oil and gas businesses in Nigeria.
Having started his entrepreneurial journey at such an early stage, Mbah has over the years, built wealth from his humble beginning, managed resources (both human and material), and flourished even amidst the unfavourable business environment in Nigeria.
Handling such high-risk business and venturing early into such a competitive sector is an indicator of the personality of Dr. Mbah as one that is willing to pay the price for success. He has also accounted for how his several failures through the transient journey to his dominance in the oil business have sharpened his entrepreneurial vigour and perspective about life in general.
Dr. Mbah triumphs over other candidates in this category for assiduousness in business and zeal to create a great enterprise. In his words, “it takes a combination of vision, grit, tenacity, diligence, self-discipline, and managerial acumen to emerge from relative obscurity to become a dominant player in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.”
There is no better person to rejuvenate the economic strength of the state than Dr. Mbah.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is the constant mental state of any great leader, a hallmark of truly exceptional leadership, and a powerful force for good in the world. It is evidence of compassion, humanity, and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place for everyone.
By prioritising philanthropy, great leaders are able to channel their resources, time, and energy towards creating positive change in their communities and beyond. Mbah’s generosity and kindness has not only benefited those in need but also inspired others to take action and make a difference.
He has expressed his goodwill via his NGO- Peter Mbah Foundation, which focuses on delivering and supporting education, health, and sanitation and human capital development through financial empowerment and skill training.
Manifesto and Vision for the State
Dr. Mbah’s primary focus, according to his manifesto, is to improve the productivity of the state using potent strategies to ensure peace and security of the state, which has dwindled lately, and inclusive sustainable economic development policies that ensure that Enugu state becomes evidently prosperous.
His manifesto carefully outlines many challenges facing the state. Top on his priority is solving the lack of portable water around the state, improving physical and food security, improving education at all levels, youth development, among others.
We are particularly drawn by his foresight and zeal to embrace innovation and technology. As diasporas, we are particularly interested in these key areas of society because they define the quality of life of our people at home, bolster our confidence in the government, and encourage our contribution to the development of our state.
Several eyebrows have been raised about the credibility of Dr. Mbah’s character, particularly the rumour of indictment by the EFCC over alleged illegal financial dealings and misappropriation of funds in suit number ID/117C/2012 against Mbah and his company – Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd. The case was purposefully cited here for people to investigate further.
Our investigation reveals that neither Mbah nor his company was indicted for any charges. On July 26th, 2012, the EFCC prosecutor, Usani Francis O, Esq, requested an order that would allow the prosecution to withdraw all charges against the defendants, admitting that a mistake was made by the investigation agency.
Other interesting antecedents about Dr. Mbah are his passion for excellence through creativity and innovation as well as his lack of complacency in his business and other areas of his life. Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, in a bid to provide succour to the people of the southeast, has maintained a consistent PMS pump price of the NNPC even while other marketers exploit the populace, especially in Enugu State.
His business has topped the weekly National PMS evacuation and Dispatch Report Chart, a feat that has become consistent in his business as one of the best-performing energy marketers in Nigeria. He had accounted that being customer-centric and delivering excellent services while adopting to the consumers’ demands are some of his business’s strengths.
We strongly believe that having a technocrat and a visionary leader like Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah will help position Enugu State for sustainable development that will affect the lives of everyone living and doing business in the state. As the elections are fast approaching, we encourage everyone to make an informed choice by voting for the most viable candidate in the race for us to enjoy the dividends of good leadership.
This piece was written by Hon. Emma Tochukwu Nwaozuzu. (Ike-ogwa) President, Enugu Youth Reform Initiative
