As Mbah Faces Political Test in Enugu…

Matthew Nwobodo writes about the need for Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to fill the vacuum created with the expiration of the terms of office of all the 17 Local Government Council Chairmen in the state.

The recent vacancy created by the expiration of the terms of office of elected Local Government Council chairmen has added to the suspense in Enugu State. The 17 council chairmen vacated their posts on March 4, 2024, it heightened expectations of the political class from the state Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah.

Since his inauguration as governor, Mbah had devoted his time and attention to governance and implementing the programmes he promised the people of Enugu State during the campaigns last year.

When he appointed members of his executive council, some politicians were left disappointed, because some names of people who were not members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were included as commissioners.

The work we were getting by then was that the governor included those names to ensure that their godfathers would not work against him if there was a re-run of the governorship election.

Some people even explained that some appointees that came from those who contributed to the campaign funds during the governorship would be dropped during a cabinet reshuffle after the government marks one year in office. Inside the state cabinet, some commissioners believe that the rating scale adopted by the governor was to be used to drop some underperforming appointees.

With that suggestion in mind, many politicians and their supporters have been looking forward to Governor Mbah’s one year in office, which comes up on May 29, 2024.

So, the governor is now faced with two crucial decisions that would show his political calculations. Everybody in Enugu State is looking at how Governor navigates through the two rivers, which concern the Local Government and change of his cabinet.

Politicians are more eager to see how the governor reshuffles his cabinet to change those with complaints about their performance or political alignment. PDP chieftains in the state claim that Governor Mbah ought to put a strong politician as the Chief of Staff and select a technocrat that worked for the party’s victory at the poll as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The PDP chieftains some of whom failed to win their elections to the State House of Assembly and House of Representatives think that only an SSG that is a card-carrying member of the party can guide the governor in choosing loyal members for appointment into various positions.

It is also argued that Chief of Staff, Government House and the SSG should not hail from the same Senatorial zone. That argument gave rise to the general feeling that Mbah would right the wrong during the impending cabinet reshuffle.

But, the belief in some quarters is that the governor’s plan to separate the Chief of Staff Government House and SSG followed allegations that the SSG was not a Professor as he had never disclosed the University that awarded him the professorial position.

Some commissioners in the current cabinet maintain that the current SSG, Chidiebere Onyia, was recommended to Mbah by some powerful outsiders that contributed to the governor’s election.

But, as the man that receives briefs from the commissioners, the SSG, Onyiah, tried to supress those allegations by claiming that those attacking him were envious of the successes he has brought about by checkmating corrupt practices.

The SSG also says he is the brain behind Mbah’s campaign manifesto, noting that those who want him replaced want the policies and programmes of the government to fail.

Some of those who claim that the SSG does not understand his schedule of duties allege that Onyia decided to be everywhere to keep himself in the good books of the governor to survive the impending reshuffle. They said the cold war between the SSG and the state Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai is caused by the SSG’s over bearing influence.

It was based on the infighting between the SSG and the Deputy Governor that some former academics in Mbah’s administration wrote the governor asking him to prevail on Onyia to release his academic path by publishing his academic career progression.

They said the SSG should bury the insinuations by naming the particular institution that promoted or granted him the professorial position, maintaining that Professorship is usually based on previous research efforts and experience in a university.

According to the memo, the former academics informed the governor that the SSG should show evidence that he actually earned the promotion through sustained university-based teaching, research and required publications in academic journals in his chosen area of specialisation.

“We suggest that the SSG should take the bold step by publishing an unabridged copy of his detailed curriculum vitae, a list of his academic research reports and published works in academic journals with impact factor reference, as well as names of some masters and doctoral students he supervised in the course of his sojourn in the academia,” the former academics recommended.

What has made the issues of cabinet reshuffle and appointment of caretaker committee chairmen for the 17 Local Government Councils of Enugu State very intense is the recent defection of some politicians from opposition parties to PDP in the state. 

The challenge before Enugu Governor is many sided. Some people think that the delay in announcing Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the councils is the notion that those appointed would automatically get the PDP ticket to contest the positions during the anticipated Local Government polls.

The governor is expected to maintain balance among the communities to ensure that no community would produce commissioner and council chairman.

These concerns are said to be worrying the governor, which made him to travel overseas to escape pressure as lobbyists continue to flock to his office and inundate him with phone calls.

Owing to the fact that Mbah gives his appointees free hand to do their jobs, the position of SSG has become very crucial because both the Commissioners and Local Government chairmen pass through the office to gain access to the governor. 

The Enugu State governor is known as a successful oil magnate, but it is believed that the appointment of caretaker chairmen for the Local Government Councils and cabinet reshuffle would expose his political style and understanding.

-Nwobodo writes from Enugu