GOVERNOR PETER MBAH AND ENUGU STATE’S PATH TO PROSPERITY
By Nnamdi Nnamani
Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu state in the South-east of Nigeria, is an inspiring leader. Since his election into office on May 29, he has not disappointed the people of the state with his drive, innovative activities, and leadership style. He has not only been sustaining the rich tradition and socio-economic progress of the state, but also galvanizing the people for development and productivity.
Over the years, Governor Mbah has commendably worked towards developing values and strengthening public awareness of truth, integrity, hard work, and creativity in both public and private life.
As soon as he took over government, Governor Mbah of Enugu State met with civil servants in the state. He pledged to improve their welfare to cope with the effects of the fuel subsidy removal. Addressing workers at the state secretariat, the governor solicited their support and cooperation to transform and move the state forward: “I believe that labor requires consummate rewards. Government must consider the welfare and quality of services the people make, while the people will be committed to improving the quality of public service delivery.”
The governor added that moving the state’s Gross Domestic Product from N4.4 billion to N30 billion was achievable, even more so with the commitment of the workforce, which would definitely boost salaries.
Mbah explained that the government was working hard to restore the power supply at the Secretariat to enhance worker’s productivity and the proposed e-Governance. He said that his administration was doing everything possible to address revenue generation leakages. “This is why we are deploying technology to make it difficult to steal public funds. So have patience with us and pray that we succeed and know that what we need in Enugu is irreversible changes.” He emphasized.
Infrastructure and security, among others, are essential to Governor Mbah’s vision. His eagerness to build a N30 billion economy is possible to achieve, and doing so will put the state on the path to prosperity.
Mention the term “infrastructure” and one immediately thinks of the backbone of an economy—roads, bridges, ports, transportation systems, electrical grids, water supplies, communication technologies, and the like. The availability, accessibility, and quality of a nation’s infrastructure are essential to its economy and the health and social well-being of its citizens. This is even more the case for trade-dependent economies.
Fortunately, however, policymaking on infrastructure addresses trade and commerce. “We will pursue an infrastructural revolution in Enugu state by turning our state into one huge construction site. We will prioritize road construction and infrastructural renewal, ensuring that our roads are well paved. Where necessary, we shall construct flyovers and dualize roads as a remedy to any gridlocks,” said Governor Mbah.
The nexus between infrastructure and economic growth trade is embodied in good governance and leadership innovation. This is what Governor Mbah is ready to provide for the people of Enugu state and by extension, the South-East, in general.
Physical infrastructure is the “scaffolding” for commerce, both domestic and international. Developing markets, especially, are in dire need of improving their infrastructure—ports, roads, waterways, bridges, energy, and ICT (information communication technologies). But these “prerequisites” cannot achieve their intended.
Collaborations in order to achieve that. Interestingly, we have a history of partnership with the UK, just as you have alluded to.
On the need to restore the British Council and the UK visa facilitation centre to Enugu, Mbah emphasized: “I have told you some of the historic roles Enugu had played in the history of the South, and there could be no better place to site a visa facilitation centre than Enugu. So, we are looking forward to that to boost trade, investment, and cooperation between the UK and our state.”
Mbah also explained that the state would host the Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholder Roundtable scheduled for September to herald the Enugu State Diaspora and Investment Forum planned for April 2024 to showcase the investment potentials of the state. He therefore solicited support towards developing those potentials.
The governor equally sought the technical assistance of the UK government in the areas of power to develop and build the Enugu electricity market and the consequent regulatory commission, as power had been devolved to the Concurrent List in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
He further solicited the support of the UK government in developing Enugu State as a special agro-allied processing zone in line with the administration’s manifesto and the state’s listing by the FG for the purpose.
“We are also interested in the private sector-led green economic transformation where we obviously believe that we can participate in renewable energy so that most of our catchment power requirements can actually be attended to. So, the emphasis is on technical assistance and support,” Mbah stressed.
Detail and ensure that we adequately capture our expenditure, the charter demands; in the same vein, the charter demands that our expenditure is consistent with government priorities,” he said.
He also said that his administration would ensure implementation of programmes and projects that deliver value for the money, factoring due process and public procurement laws into them in line with public financial management.
The governor further stated that his administration would provide a N100 billion revolving fund for Enugu State SMEs in partnership with the private sector and other development financial institutions.
“We will retool and re-energize our agriculture/agro-allied sector, unlock our rural economy through the implementation of special economic zones and special agro-allied processing zones,” he said.
Governor Mbah is an assurance to the people that his administration would serve with every fiber of his being and devote all his energy and resources to working for the state’s interest. His driving force and governance philosophy will always be based on transcendental values.
All these explain why the people hold him dearly for his simple, yet life-impacting activities and leadership. No wonder, his influence is spreading, gaining wider acceptance, even far beyond the boundaries of Enugu state. Thus, his influence and popularity continue to grow.
Despite the gloomy outlook of the Nigerian macro-economic space, Enugu state is set on the path to prosperity through peace-building, advancements in infrastructure, human capital development, health, commerce, and trade that will continue.
Whatever transpires, investors – local and foreign – producers, traders, and the consuming public in Enugu state are in for a new lease of life and prosperity under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah. The South-east region and even Nigeria can continue to benefit significantly from the dynamo that drives trade and enhances infrastructure – namely, good governance with innovative leadership.
