Enugu Not Landlocked, Will Become Oil Producing State, Says PDP Guber Candidate

Segun James

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah has said contrary to insinuation, Enugu State is not landlocked, even as he expressed optimism that it would soon join the league of oil producing states in the country
Mbah who said this while addressing party members at Umulokpa, the headquarters of Uzo Uwani Local Government Area, disclosed that Enugu had been identified as an oil bearing state.

The governorship candidate also paid visit to Igbo Etiti Local Government Area where he expressed gratitude to the people for their unalloyed support to him during the recent PDP governorship primary election in the state.
He assured them that he would reciprocate their gesture with good governance if elected as governor of the state in 2023. While explaining that his visits had nothing to do with electioneering campaign, he said it was morally and politically right for him and his team to go back to the people who had entrusted their future in his capacity to move the state forward.

Addressing the party’s stakeholders at Uzo Uwani local government headquarters, the business mogul reiterated his commitment to harness the potential in the local government area such as agriculture, coastal bodies and mineral deposits to drive development and create jobs for the teeming youths in the council area.
According to him, his team had earlier studied the untapped assets in the council area and came up with the design and workable template on how to create an urban centre in the area, adding that he intends to industrialise the state through leveraging on the abundant resources nature had blessed the state with.
“We came here today with one primary objective, and that is to appreciate all of you for your unswerving support which you showed to me on the 25th day of May, 2022 by giving me 100 per cent votes at the PDP governorship primary.

“We’ve come to express our profound gratitude and say, thank you. Since this visit is not intended to be used for campaign because it is not yet time, we shall come back once the ban is lifted for electioneering activities and tell you our programmes for this wonderful local government area.

“We came to tell you that you have not made any mistake for voting for us. You made the right choice and we are grateful. We are, therefore, determined to exploit the assets in Uzo Uwani. I’m aware that Enugu State is not a landlocked state because of the coastal bodies found in Uzo Uwani.
“We are going to utilise it for the people of Uzo Uwani. Enugu State is blessed with huge oil deposit and gas reserve because of Uzo Uwani. Through harnessing these resource endorsements, we are going to make Enugu State an oil producing state.

“We have inlands waterways and we are going to develop our waterway transportation. Uzo Uwani is historical in many ways; both in terms of movement of goods and movement of persons, the local government plays a preeminent role in this country,” Mbah observed.
He described the council area as a dormant and sleeping giant and promised to reinvigorate all the dormant assets to give the local government the best economic outlook through industrialisation.

Earlier on, the council boss, Hon Chukwudi Celestine Nnadozie, conveyed the local government’s appreciation to Mbah and his running mate, Ifeanyi Ossai, for finding time to visit them despite their busy schedules.
The Chairman, Odimma Nsukka and PDP’s candidate for Nsukka/Igboeze South, Engr. Vita Abba, while speaking during the visit, said the PDP gubernatorial candidate was God-sent to redeem the state through his entrepreneurial wealth of experience.

In continuation of his visit, Mbah and his team later visited Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area at the council headquarters in Ogbede where they were received with rousing fanfares as members of the council area trooped out en masse to welcome them.

He further promised to reinvent the state through his economic blueprint and move the state’s economy from an annual GDP of $4 billion to $30 billion, saying the quantum leap would be driven by innovation and disruption.