Governor-Elect, Mbah, Inaugurates Transition Committee

The quality and terms of reference of the transition committee recently inaugurated by the Governor-elect of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, is a paradigm shift that might well have kick started the disruptive innovations promised by the entrepreneur, writes Olaoluwakitan Babatunde

While it is usual to populate transition committees in Enugu State with politicians and civil servants, the state’s Governor-elect, Dr. Peter Mbah, broke off with traditions when he released a list of 64-man transition committee with the private sector giants, technocrats, and professionals predominating by over 80 per cent.  Drawn from across regional, religious, political, and professional backgrounds, the committee is chaired by a celebrated investment banker, and Group Managing Director of Afrinvest (West Africa) Ltd, Ike Chioke. A first class graduate of engineering, Chioke is the President of the Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria, Chief Executive Officer of Triple-A Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd, Chairman of Royal Exchange General Insurance Company, and has more than 30 years experience in banking, project and structured finance, debt and equity capital markets, media, telecommunications, financial services, and industrial reform.

Also on the committee is Dr. Joe Abah, Country Director, Development Alternatives Initiatives (DAI), and a former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms in Nigeria. He comes with over 10 years experience in managing governance programs in Nigeria for the U.K. Department for International Development, including on the DAI-led State Partnership for Accountability and Capability project.  

Others include the Managing Director of the United Kingdom-Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UK-NIAF), Prof. Chidi Onyia; a former Minister of Power and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; a former Chief Executive Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nigeria and West Africa, and current Chairman of Execution Edge, Ken Igbokwe; a former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo; a former Executive Director at First Bank and Founder, Krystle Group, Mrs. Christy Okoye.

Others include the Director, Industrial and Trade Development at the African Development Bank (AFDB), Dr. Abdu Mukhtar; the Director, Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institutions, Dr. Aloysius Ardu; a renowned transporter and university proprietor, Chief Dr. Sam Onyishi; President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu; a former Commissioner, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Co-Founder, Excredite, Mr. Eyo Ekpo; former CEO at Neconde Gas, Engr. Frank Edozie; the Group CEO, PanAfrican Capital Holdings Ltd, Chris Oshiafi, and foreign direct investment promoter, Mr. Andrew Thorburn.

Equally on the transition Committee are the Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Prof. Christian Anieke; Mrs. Ijeoma Emezie-Ezigbo of KPMG, the world’s leading audit firm; Prof. Obiamaka Egbo of the USAID; Chief Chinedu Anih, founder of Coal City University; Mr. Chuka Mordi of Ellah Lakes; Dr. Nnenna Mba-Oduwusi of InSiGHT Health; Dr. Dorothy Jeff-Nnamani of Nova Health; Mrs. Nneka Okekearu of Pan African University; Mr. Joseph Aneke of Transnetwork.

To cap it up, Nextier, a multi-competency advisory firm headed by the Founding Partner, Patrick Okigbo III, was hired to provide technical support and policy advisory to the Transition Committee.

A well cut ought job

For those, who do not understand the enormity of work and responsibility entrusted on the Committee, a 64-man team might appear unwieldy. But those who have followed Mbah’s trajectory in the private sector know he is one, who believes in a slim team. Thus, the 64-man team is better appreciated after members were split into their various fields of expertise and Mbah’s vision and focal areas.

Inaugurating the Committee, Mbah said: “In constituting this committee, we put a tooth-comb into searching for the best in virtually all fields of development. Here gathered are the products of that scrutiny. It is an assemblage of technocrats, private sector giants and men and women, who are experts in different fields of endeavours. They are successful professionals who will offer value and who are committed to the same ideals and values we share.

“We sought you out to assist in weaving the tapestry of how we will journey through the next four years. The task before us is humongous, but not insurmountable. Ndi Enugu chose us, believing that we were the only ones qualified to take them through this consequential journey. We also selected you because you possess the wherewithal to help transform the journey into an empirically verifiable roadmap of abundance and development.

“Our vision for Enugu State is a luscious land flowing with milk and honey. In this vision, we do not see the entanglements of today. Transiting into that land of purpose, of economic and social Eldorado is a big plan that we are convinced is possible and do-able.

“We have conceived of a growth plan of very ambitious economic and social indicators that are not only measurable but ambitious. Ndi Enugu want us to hit the ground running from the day of our swearing-in. That is why we want you to put that vision in actionable and cognisable form by helping to formulate them, both as policies and action plans.

“Your Job Description will also involve a review of the activities of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Enugu State towards deploying them as catalysts for development. You are also expected to help us hunt for the required talents that will serve as enablers of our visions of development. In the same vein, we expect this august committee to help situate and appreciate the various risks and threats that may pose as hurdles on the way of our vision”.

“We have conceived a growth plan that is ambitious both in the economic and social indicators. Therefore, we talked about growing the economy from the current level of $4.4 billion to $30 billion. We talked about making sure that we achieve a zero per cent rate in our poverty headcount index. We talked about making Enugu State the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living.

“We talked about unpacking the skills of the youths in digital technology so that the administration is able to equip a minimum of 40,000 youths in digital technology and a minimum of 10,000 youths in practical skills yearly.

“We also know that the growth level we are talking about cannot come from the public sector alone. This growth will happen through constructive investment; and that will come largely from the private sector.

“But we also believe that with the vision and dream we have expressed, with the work you are going to do in this Committee, they are achievable despite being ambitious because they are measurable.

“But we are going to provide the key enablers to attract businesses because businesses are not Father Christmas. They are interested in returns on investment.

“So, we believe that you can craft a document that can give us that implementable action plan”, Mbah concluded. 

With imagination, a new Enugu is possible

On his part, the renowned political economics and management expert, Prof. Pat Utomi, whose participation as the keynote speaker underscored Mbah’s wide acceptance and respect across political divides and among progressives, emphasised that the major difference between leaders of the First Republic and their successors was the power of imagination and commitment to human development.

Utomi, while commending Mbah for the quality of people on the Transition Committee, challenged them to look at the success story of Singapore from Third World to First World in a generation, insisting that “with passion, imagination, and commitment by the government, a new Enugu State is possible”.

Utomi, who spoke vide a video link, extolled Mbah’s capacity to dream dreams, espouse vision, and think outside the box like Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dr, Michael Okpara, former premiers of the defunct Eastern Region. 

He, however, regretted described government as the biggest obstacle to ease of doing business in Nigeria owing to undue regulations, policy summersaults, multiple taxation, among others, and emphasised that any national or state government that wants to succeed must ensure a strict observance of the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and building trust in the system.

In his speech, Chairman of the Transition Committee, Ike Chioke, while commending Dr. Mbah’s ambitious manifesto, said the Committee felt greatly honoured to be called upon to help to distil and translate the governor-elect’s ambitious vision to implementable plans.

He stated: “I looked through the 62 pages of your manifesto, which I consider to be an audacious plan. I have been privileged to know you for over 15 years and with what you have done at Pinnacle Oil and Gas and the effect you made by taking the number one position in the downstream oil and gas sector, I believe that you’re able and capable for this task.

“I believe we have a task by transforming your manifesto into tangible, actionable and measurable indicators and policies that will enable you to achieve those audacious plans”.  

Meanwhile, the Co-Chairman of the Transition Committee and Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, evoked the memories of defunct Eastern Nigeria’s heroes past, assuring of the commitment of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration to a seamless transition.

“On this ground many years ago, our forebears, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, Akanu Ibiam and the rest of them sat. They dreamt dreams about Igbo land. Today, you have been called upon again to dream dreams about our people.

“As a government, I want to assure the transition team of the government’s support. We will assist; we will provide every information; and we will provide every assistance and our doors are wide open. It will be a seamless transition. After all, we are partners in this business of bringing greater development to Enugu State”, he stated.

Analysts believe that if morning foretells the day, it is safe to say that Mbah’s onerous task of building a new Enugu, albeit in a way that drives the message home that Enugu is in for government business the unseal way.