CHUKS NWEZE from Enugu captures the sharp divide of Enugu state indigenes on the 18 months administration of Governor Peter Mbah
The grand swell of opinion is that the Enugu state governor, Mr Peter Ndubisi Mbah, is carrying on as if he will be a governor for life, his body language mirroring the moment he takes a rest, Enugu will come crumbling.
However, there is another segment that believe that the governor’s actions has wrecked havoc on the people, taking them back to poverty years that would require many more years to alleviate.
Pro-government camp
Those in this camp said the Enugu state governor is indeed out to work and has shown within one year and eight months in office that he is in a hurry to develop Enugu state.
To some analysts, he is going about it as if tomorrow will not come. “Such is the enthusiasm with which he is working”, and no wonder, some time ago when he mounted the rostrum, he once boasted that tomorrow was here today, “Tomorrow is Here,” is and was his aphorism.
Development anchored on campaign promises
During his campaigns, he promised to embark on what he captioned, ‘disruptive governance’, a promise to embark on humongous projects to develop the state, such development, he said would increase the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $4.4 billion to $30 billion in eight years time, a projection ostensibly aimed at standing for the next election to win.
In less than two years, as contained in a pamphlet distributed on January 4, 2025, when President Bola Tinubu visited to commission some completed projects, Mbah’s scorecard so far was glaringly displayed for all to see.
Ongoing projects yet to be completed were also displayed and the level of progress before their completion.
At the occasion, even doubting Thomases could see that Mbah has indeed achieved a lot under two years in office and still gunning for more.
Perhaps, to disprove the Igbo aphorism that a snake seen by only one man turns out to be a python, Governor Mbah invited the president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, to come bear him witness on his accomplishments and what Enugu people have also seen since he became governor Enugu’.
President Tinubu came, saw and appreciated what the governor has accomplished in less than two years.
The projects
Specifically, 30 out of 260 Enugu Smart Green Schools, have been completed; 60 out of 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres have also been completed and 150 patrol vehicles, fitted with modern security gadgets, procured to ensure that the state is insulated from the roving eyes of criminal elements.
Schools and hospitals aside, the governor has completed over 70 roads in Enugu urban and is aggressively working on others as well as rural roads, to mention but a few.
Mention must be made about the wonders he did at the International Conference Centre, that had been abandoned for 16 years by successive governments in the state.
The Hotel Presidential, Enugu that had become a ghost of itself, has now undergone 80% completion. But for unforseen circumstances, water could have been flowing in every area in Enugu metropolis.
The president who commissioned some of the completed projects could not hide his enthusiasm and thus was full of praises for the governor.
He said that the era of politicking was over and now is the time for governance and Mbah was doing it. He acknowledged that he and Mbah were not in the same political party but that would not becloud his sense of judgment, having seen what Mbah has put on ground.
Before President Tinubu came, many had been pouring encomium on Mbah for the good works he had been doing. One of such groups is the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The group praised the governor’s achievements since assuming office, highlighting his dedication, commitment, and determination to elevate Enugu state to greater heights.
In a statement released in Enugu, the president of the Enugu chapter of the Igbo socio cultural group, Prof. Fred O. Eze, and the secretary Dr. Malachy Chuma Ochie, described Mbah’s accomplishments across various sectors as remarkable.
“We are proud of Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership and his focus-driven approach to governance.
“Governor Mbah has raised the bar of governance in Enugu state and demonstrated a strong commitment to positioning the state as a prime destination for investment.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is equally impressed with the governor’s dedication to manpower development, as well as his emphasis on accountability and transparency as pillars of his administration.
“We commend his efforts in implementing the national minimum wage and his drive to modernize the state civil service by transitioning from manual processes to e-governance.
“We, therefore, urge the people of Enugu state to set aside their differences and support this transformative leadership for the collective good of the state.”
The group also lauded Governor Mbah’s unwavering focus on driving economic growth in the state, describing his initiatives as unmatched.
“We appreciate his commitment to fulfilling his promises to the people of Enugu state. We extend our best wishes to him and the citizens of the state for a joyful Christmas celebration and a prosperous New Year ahead.”
The Executive Director of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Advocacy Network (LEAD Network) Africa, an NGO, Chief Chukwuma Okenwa, has good words about Gov. Peter Mbah’s governance which he said was truly and highly transformational.
Okenwa who was reacting to the recent scorecard presented by Governor Mbah on his governance in a Town Hall meeting, which was themed: ‘Governance Issues: The Journey So Far, ”said that what the governor had done in the past 18 months was commendable in terms of infrastructure and should be emulated by leaders who intend to serve their people in all sincerity.
He said that after delivering water to some Enugu residents within six months in office, the governor is doing over 1,000 projects running simultaneously and turning the state into a huge construction site.
This, he said, remained unprecedented in the history of achievements of previous governors in the state.
According to him, each of the 260 political wards in the state, notwithstanding how remote the area is, has at least two projects or more being completed or running in them currently.
He noted that Mbah had given attention to over 16 years abandoned monumental and international projects such as the International conference Centre (ICC Enugu), Hotel Presidential and International Ultra-Modern Hospital among others.
“We are witnesses to massive road construction and reconstruction within Enugu metropolis and solar-powered street-lights everywhere to boost commerce, nightlife and security.
“Our ‘Mr Projects Governor’ has also constructed lots of rural link roads as well as directed each chairman of council areas to construct at least 10 kilometres of rural roads and install solar-powered street-lights in them.
“We are ‘eye-marking’ brand new smart basic schools and type-2 Primary healthcare centres in each of the 260 political wards in the state.
“We are seeing the three new commercial vehicles terminals in Enugu and Nsukka coming on stream, modern bus stop stands as well as the Enugu Air and aero-space hub projects coming up.
“Opened up the electricity market in Enugu State, opened up the basic health, nursing and midwifery schools and created more transparency in the land use system and work of the ministry of lands,” he said.
Okenwa said that Mbah remained the only governor that had kept his word in providing top notch and modern security systems through using hi-tech technology.
“Within 18-months, the state bought 100 brand new vehicles for its Distress Responses Squad (DRS); installed hi-tech cameras and searchlights in bus stops, junctions of densely populated areas and along major highways, while inaugurating a security Command and Control Centre.
“This is to show that Mbah is preparing Enugu State as a place people world over can come, do business, live and spend time on leisure with security full guarantee, while they contribute their quota to the development of the state.
“This is why he is currently building a new smart city in Enugu for such high worth and high net personalities within the country, Africa and the world, who will use Enugu as a base and home,” he said.
The LEAD Network boss said what baffles the entire residents remained that Enugu state was not a high in federal allocation and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) earner; but “Gov. Mbah is practically pushing all these projects at the same time”.
Urging residents and people of the state to keep supporting Mbah’s programmes and projects, Okenwa said, “All these initiatives and projects will reposition the state as a hub for human capital development, health, commerce tourism.
“We can see that gradually the vision of Governor Mbah building the Enugu state economy from $4 million to $30 million within eight years is possible and achievable as the people support his sincere and visionary governance,” he said.
Criticisms
While many are pouring encomium on Mbah, some people, however, criticize him of coming short of expectation. Their criticism is hinged on the demolition Mbah carried out to allow for more development in the guise of the illegal structures in some places and the demolition of motor parks in some areas in Enugu and Nsukka which displaced many transport owners and traders around the parks.
One of such critics is Hon. Chijoke Edeoga, the Labour Party governorship candidate in the last gubernatorial election. Edeoga, commenting on the demolitions, spoke vehemently against such exercise.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, 2023 the governorship candidate, also demanded a public apology and compensation from the governor.
Edeoga accused the governor of demolishing the property of Ifesinachi Transport Ltd and Peace Mass Transit, stating that the state government had claimed that it acted in public interest.
The Premier Hotel in Nsukka formerly owned by an elder statesman, Charles Abangwu, was equally demolished on the perceived allegation that majority of the Nsukka senatorial district of the state did not vote for him.
According Edeoga, “In the month of June 2024, agents of the government of Enugu state, amidst wailings of anguish and despair of traumatised citizens, supervised the simultaneous demolitions of markets and built-up places in many parts of Enugu state.
“With regards to immediate impacts on the overall well-being of the directly affected persons, their dependents, and their sources of income and sustenance, the devastation was clearly reminiscent of the horrors of the 1966 to 1970 Nigerian civil war and its immediate aftermath.
“Vast settlements at Okpara Avenue, containing iconic buildings, banks, schools, SMEs, an orphanage run by the Red Cross, transport terminals, etc., were all crushed in a destructive rage that was fuelled by motives that are still unfolding”, he stated.
He further explained, “These destructions were executed in other centres of commerce and human habitation in Enugu metropolis, including; Gariki, Abakpa, and then Ogige market in Nsukka Local Government Area.
“The devastation, the horrors of which are beyond normal human contemplation were executed with little or no notice. They attracted widespread condemnation. and even outright demonstrations and marches by aggrieved people in parts of the state.
He said that attention had been focused substantially on the devastation wrecked by agents of the state government at the establishments adjacent Okpara Avenue in Enugu state.
According to him, “It was the subject of a viral BBC video broadcast. The matter was also the subject of a motion brought before the House of Representatives; the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Barrister Ugo Agballah also addressed a world press conference where he stated that “Land Grab” was the main driver of the destruction that occurred.”
Giving details of the perceived politically motivated demolition, Edeoga said, “These destructions, directed by the Enugu state government on a vast and unprecedented scale as I pointed out earlier were executed also at Gariki, in Enugu South LGA, Abakpa in Enugu East LGA, and at Ogige-Nsukka market in Nsukka LGA. Ogige-Nsukka market is equally a huge market but stands apart from the other three major centers of trade and commerce that were destroyed by agents of Enugu state government.
“It is through happenings after the unfortunate demolition of that market that the contradictions and conflations in the statements and actions of the Enugu state government are painfully and disgracefully unfolding with rapidity.
“If really the state government allocated shops to them, why would they prefer to mill around the destroyed market, in the circumstances of utter degradation and humiliation?”, he stressed.
Like Edeoga, the Enugu state chairman of APC also spoke scathingly about the way Mbah embarked on demolition that affected many Enugu traders who looked forward to a leader with their interest at heart.
Condemning the demolitions, Agballa had this to say: “I have been an advocate of thoroughbreds with strong intellectual and moral standing elected into the office of the Governor of Enugu state. The people should not be elected on the basis of wealth acquisition.
“Nowhere in the world do you carry out such projects without implementing the principles of (T.O.D) otherwise called Transit Oriented Development, which is aimed at bringing all commercial activities, buildings, public space together and connecting them to a near excellent transit service to every part of the city.
“If the principles of T.O.D had been implemented the government would not even think of building the biggest transportation hub opposite the biggest market in the city. This will lead to congestion and a calamitous traffic bottleneck
“The people of Enugu state must condemn these nefarious acts and use constituted means to stop the perennial grabbing of people’s land by the present government.
“We call on the House of Reps to invoke its powers to set up an administrative panel of inquiry to stop this land grabbing scheme and make sure commiserate compensation is paid to not only land owners of destroyed properties but also those whose businesses were destroyed.
“It is important that a national public inquiry be set by the House of Reps to stop the impunity going on in Enugu and make sure that the governor is held responsible for desecrating the constitutional rights of the citizens to own property and carry on their lawful businesses,” he declared.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, while receiving award handed over to him by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Enugu state council, recently lashed at Mbah over what he saw as a bogus budget for 2025 which was pegged at over N971 billion.
He wondered how Mbah intended to fund such budget unless he wants to over tax the people of the state who are already reeling under the present economic hardship.
Nnaji urged the media to speak against such moves saying that if nothing was done, Mbah was capable of mortgaging the state in debt, noting that already the state was in a debt burden of over N100 billion.
The Minister who used the occasion to intimate of his forthcoming intension to run for governorship come 2027 such he would not over tax the people but find other avenue to source revenue for the state other than tax, lamenting that under Mbah’s leadership,”even dead bodies and unborn children pay tax.”
Mbah did not make excuses for exacting tax from the people, but pointed out money realised from taxation would be used to give the people the democracy dividends.
However, in spite of the many criticisms, many are still happy with Mbah’s development stride. They are of the opinion that “Mbah is working.”
Even market women sing praises of Mbah because of the urban renewal and rebuilding of urban roads, especially the roads in Enugu metropolis that had been death traps but are now motorable.
“For sometime, I have not been working on my shock because the roads are good. My shock absorbers are now resting, a commercial driver said.
For once, civil servants are happy that their salaries are paid as at when due. They are even happier that Mbah fulfilled his promise of paying N80,000.00 minimum wage instead of the Federal Government approved N70,000.00.
The state chairman of NLC, Comrade Barrister Fabian Ndigbo, while speaking on the new minimum wage said Mbah did well in that regard, pointing out that they are waiting for consequential adjustment of the salary scale to be followed.
Governor Mbah, aka, Mr. Project, may not have met everybody’s expectation but he has only spent 18 months, and from what he has done so far, expectation is still high that tomorrow might indeed come for NdiEnugu.
