By Nnamani Arinze Darlington
Wednesday, 29 May, Governor Peter Mbah marked one year in office. It is a landmark that educe significant mirroring, given the electoral promises of every occupant of the exalted office during the eve of the electioneering.
from the outset of the 2023 gubernatorial campaigns, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, never left anyone who followed him uncertain that he was equipped and far-sighted for the job to reposition enugu. Mbah asseverated an ambitious vision to grow the state’s economy from 4.4 billion US dollars to 30 billion US dollars, ensure a zero per cent in poverty headcount index, and position the state as the premier destination for business, investment, tourism, and for living.
He set forth at dawn upon his inauguration, on 29th May 2023, when signed three Executive Orders, executing a Citizens Charter to deliver good governance, security, law, order, and economic prosperity to the people.
Acknowledging security as the mainspring of any socio-economic growth and coginisant of the constitutional provision that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, the Dr. Administration, working in concert with the security agencies, waged a tenacious war against insecurity, including illegal Monday sit-at-home and its associated violent crimes. The governor personally went around the state, mobilising Ndi Enugu against the illegal order. Today, even the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, attests to the restoration of security and order in the state.
To fortify security in the state, the state released a fleet of security vehicles to launch the pilot scheme of the Distress Response Squad, which full compliments will ultimately comprise over hundred hi-tech patrol vehicles with security surveillance cameras capable of facial and number plate recognition.
To complement the Distress Response Squad for full surveillance and quick deployment of security resources to preempt and fight crime, the administration has completed a purpose-built, hi-tech Command and Control Centre, while equally deploying hi-tech surveillance facilities across Enugu, which are linked to the Command and Control Centre.
To secure the coastal areas of the state and boost security in the state generally, the Governor Mbah Administration is partnering with the Nigerian Navy to set up naval base at Ogurugu, Uzo Uwani LGA and also with the Nigerian Army to set up barracks at Isi-Uzo in the northern border of the state.
Meanwhile, Governor Mbah is intentional and bullish about his push for the infrastructural transformation, which are also enablers for his ambitious economic growth target. In a historic move, he proposed a 521.5 Billion Naira 2024 budget of which a whooping 414.3 Billion Naira, representing 79 percent of the entire budget was earmarked for capital expenditure.
Government’s seriousness in overhauling and repositioning the education sector and its infrastructure is underscored by the allocation of 33 per cent of the entire budget to the sector, the highest anywhere in Africa. The government is currently constructing Smart Schools in the 260 wards in the state, while the pilot project is already up and running. This leapfrog is designed to provide world-class education for children, including those with special needs, starting from age three and cover crèche, nursery, primary, and junior secondary education. Each smart school has a clinic, ICT centre, e-library, science laboratory for both primary and junior secondary schools, tech laboratory, centre for robotics, studio and interactive boards. It also has a 1 million litre underground water storage to support a clean and safe learning environment for children plus renewable energy as alternative power source.
Before now, perennial of safe and clean water made Enugu unconducive for living and businesses as attempts by successive governments to address the challenge failed. Mbah had therefore promised to restore water to Enugu metropolis in 180 days. Unrealistic as it sounded during the campaign, today, Mbah has lived up to the promise through sheer determination and massive investments in water infrastructure. On November 25, 2023, exactly the 180th day from his inauguration, Dr. Peter Mbah commissioned the ultra-modern Ninth Mile 24/7 Water Scheme, which has, together with other overhauled and reinvigorated water schemes, raised water production capacity from the hitherto occasional 2 million litres to 120 million lires, daily. This is way higher than the about 70 litre daily water needs of Enugu city. Coal City is now enjoying pipe-borne water, while massive reticulation fixing and expansion works are ongoing.
Because health is wealth, the government has invested so much in revamping the health sector, from primary to tertiary healthcare. The Mbah administration is currently constructing Type-2 Primary Health Centre (PHCs) in each of the 260 wards of which 30 units are nearing completion. It has taken decisive steps to reposition the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Park Lane, Enugu, while the administration’s intervention has resulted in the upgrade of the School of Nursing, Awgu, to a College of Nursing. Both interventions have far-reaching positive implications for the state’s health sector.
At his Statement of Purpose or Manifesto, Mbah said, “We will focus on daulisation and resurfacing of over 10,000 kilometres of road cross the state using both direct state government funding, public private partnerships and partnership with Local Governments. We will also construct bridges in both the urban and rural communities as well as flyovers to remove traffic bottle-necks.”
This translates to 1,250 kilometres per annum in the next eight years. In less than one year in office, Governor Peter Mbah has literarily turned the state into a construction site. In October, Governor Peter Mbah flagged off the construction and reconstruction of 71 urban roads and construction of 10 strategic inter-local government and inter-state roads to open up the rural areas to create access to the proposed Special Agro-Processing Zones, industrial parks and vast farmlands.
The urban roads are wearing a new look to the joy of the long-forgotten parts of Enugu City such as Idaw River, Abakpa, Awkunanaw, Trans Ekulu, Achara Layout among others, while work is going on at fast pace on the Owo – Ubahu – Amankanu – Neke – Ikem road, a 40- kilometers dual carriageway that will open a new traffic corridor linking Enugu to the North Central market, the Ama Brewery Junction – Eke – Akama Oghe – Iwollo – Umulokpa road with a spur to Aguobu Owa in Ezeagu, Agu-Mgbuji-Ogete-Eha-Amufu road, Amechi-Idodo-Amagunze road, among others.
In line with his administration’s resolve to ensure that Enugu reclaim its lost glory as a tourism and economic hub, Governor Peter Mbah, in October, flagged off the construction of the 10,000 hectare New Enugu City being handled by the China Communication Construction Company (CCCC). The smart city, when completed will rub shoulders with the best cities in the world and will boast of centralised utilities such as dedicated power plant, high speed internet, central sewage system, among others.
Meanwhile, the Dr. Peter Mbah Administration understands the place of constant power in its investment and 30 Billion dollar-economic GDP target. Governor Mbah, upon assumption of office, immediately initiated the Enugu State Electricity Bill, which he signed into September and also appointed mebers of the Enugu State Electricity Commission in March in March 2024 to create an electricity market and pave the way for private sector investment in power generation, transmission, and distribution in the state. It was therefore a day of joy for Ndi Enugu when the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, in a historic move, recently transferred the regulatory oversight of the Enugu State electricity market to the state’s regulatory body. With this there will be huge investment inflow in the state’s electricity sector.
Mbah’s administration is out for investments and partnerships to build new socio-economic infrastructure and revamp the states many moribund assets to productive assets. His moves have seen the state host the maiden Enugu State Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholders Roundtable. The Roundtable, which attracted participants from the diplomatic community, major development financiers and partners, domestic financial institutions as well as domestic and international investors, among others, was a well utililsed opportunity for the government to present a pipeline of 30 projects worth 2.1 Billion Dollar and cutting across agriculture and agro-industry, real estate, logistics, aviation, tourism, real estate, power, mineral resources, ICT, among others.
Governor Mbah Administration is working ceaselessly for the completion of the international wing and the construction of the cargo wing of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. It has already awarded contract for the revamping of the Hotel Presidential, while work is already ongoing at the long-abandoned Enugu International Conference Centre.
Integrity of Governor Mbah and his government also saw the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, acting on the approval and directive of President Bola Tinubu, hand over 14 properties earlier forfeited to the Federal Government to the state government, a feat that had been pursued by successive governments without success.
For his giant strides, Governor Mbah has won the Sun, Vanguard, New Telegraph, and Daily Independent Governor of the Year awards in various sectors. That is the power of vision, determination, and love for one’s people.
With these groundworks and achievements already laws already recorded in less than one year in office, in addition to the extensive reforms of institutions and processes from lands to revenue collection, and public procurement, there is no doubt that the Ndi Enugu are in for good times and sustainable development under the able leadership of the entrepreneur-turned politician, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
Just one year in office, he has achieved tremendous growth in the state. It is evident that ndi Enugu are yet to see all from the disruptive innovator. Let us continue to support and pray for him because he is in a hurry to deliver all the dividends of democracy promised to the ndi Enugu.
Indeed, for Ndi Enugu, tomorrow is Here!
Nnamani Arinze Darlington writes from Enugu
