In Mbah, Ndigbo Have Another Peter Governing Igbo Seat of Power

Bismack Orji

On 13th October 2023, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, as governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, captured the hearts of many citizens and residents of the Coal City State based on the humongous vision he espoused in his manifesto as well as the erudition and passion he exhibited in presenting it at the Law Auditorium, Godfrey Okoye University, Thinkers Corner, Enugu.

The manifesto was indeed laden with daring and disruptive, innovative ideas. Those daringly ambitious campaign promises included: growing the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, eradicating poverty, building 10,000km roads, etc, all in four to eight years. He equally promised to restore water to Enugu metropolis in 180 days. Indeed, he spoke that day with fire, power, and conviction; and for the nearly three hours that he stood before the audience, he spoke without any written notes as he constructed and deconstructed his governance blueprint which was hinged on disruptive governance.

While many in the audience dismissed them as mere campaign promises hinged on oratorical brinksmanship, wondering how on earth he intended to achieve those jaw-breaking promises. Yet, his inner circle, members of his think tank, and those who saw what he did in the oil and gas sector believed him.

With what he has done in less than two years, many believe that Mbah and Peter Obi have several things in common in their approach to governance. One is their uncommon self-belief. In a society where nothing seems to work and everything appears to have been programmed to fail, they think big, talk big and are bold enough to put their “outlandishly disruptive ideas” into practice without being afraid to step on toes or even stand alone.

They are also technocrats and successful entrepreneurs, not ‘career politicians’, as they come from the private sector where they have successfully run their own businesses with the attendant risks. As such, they are not afraid of taking risks, after careful calculations.

Again, they are both averse to monetisation of the governance process. Although both of them have given so much in philanthropy (there is the Peter Mbah Foundation that has existed for years, quietly building hospitals, awarding scholarships, constructing rural roads, etc.), in Nigerian parlance, they both believe in “we no de give shishi” when it comes to governance.

This author recalls an episode in June, 2023 when, as Convener, South East Good Governance Project (SEGGOP), he led other activists to organise the “Enugu Say No To Sit At Home” March. Governor Mbah called the organisers and thanked them for caring to support his government in its fight against insecurity.  Those who believed that they would go home with cash booties like was previously the style in the state were disappointed. Unlike before, you don’t find governor’s aids in choice bars and lounges. Not only do they not have time (Mbah is a workaholic and enforces Key Performance Index), there is no money because he puts virtually everything into projects. Reports after reports continue to show that Enugu under his leadership is by wide margins the very least in cost of governance across the country. He is very frugal.

He left no one in doubt about the path he wanted to toe when he presented the record N521.5 billion 2024 budget to the House of Assembly. The recurrent expenditure component was N107.2 billion (21%), while the capital component was N414.3 billion (79%).  It was a paradigm shift in budgeting in Nigeria and left the media agog. Mbah has further crashed the recurrent expenditure in the 2025 budget proposal. Out of another record N971.8 billion, he is proposing only N133.1 billion (14%) as recurrent expenditure, while a whooping N837.9 billion (86%) is for capital expenditure.  

Again, just like Obi did during his tenure as Anambra State Governor, Mbah has played less politics in his appointments and governance. The ratio of technocrats to politicians in his cabinet is about 95 to five. He believes that politics should be about service to the people and not transactional.

What of Obi’s “Consumption to Production” mantra? Mbah, as an astute businessman and creator of wealth has made that his governance principle. Accordingly, he has prioritised the completion of abandoned projects in the state so as to boost the government’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). They include the International Conference Centre started by then Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and abandoned for seventeen years by previous governors despite its huge economic potential. In fact, a previous government carved out and sold about 30 percent of the premises, but Mbah demolished the illegal structures. Today, the Conference Centre stands completed.

He is currently turning the structures on Rangers Avenue, which were recovered by his administration from the EFCC into a 300-bed Enugu Internal Hospital. Also, Mbah’s ongoing renovation of Hotel Presidential, Enugu, is remarkable in that it has wiped away the tears of Dr M.I. Okpara, the legendary Premier of Eastern Nigeria who founded Hotel Presidential in Enugu and Port Harcourt in the 1960s. For over a decade, this iconic hotel, one of Coal City’s landmarks, had been allowed to rot away. Also, other abandoned projects such as Nigergas Company Ltd, Enugu United Palm Products Limited, Niger Steel limited and Sunrise Flour Mills are all being revitalised.

In the area of tourism, Mbah has made Enugu the Tourism Destination of the South East. Apart from the annual Road Block Christmas fiesta, which bounced back last December due to improved security, a retinue of activities have been lined up for this Yuletide season including the Unity Park Christmas carnival. Again, his celebration of Igbo iconic Musician, Mike Ejeagha, by constructing the roads leading to his Enugu residence and naming same after the “Gwo gwo gwo ngwo” crooner, has shown him as a true man of the people and a genuine Nwa Enugu, who has respect for our heroes past and present.

As a media practitioner and a civil society activist, it is obvious both from interactions with international agencies and available analysis of good governance indices in the South East region that the Enugu and Abia State Governments presently enjoy good reviews in terms of projects, foreign direct investment, ease of doing business, security & rule of law, etc.  Governors Peter Mbah and Alex Otti of Enugu and Abia States, respectively, share something in common with Peter Obi – the private sector entrepreneurial background.   Indeed, you cannot run a government effectively if you haven’t effectively run your own business.

Peter Mbah is indeed in a hurry to transform Enugu State. Today, he is a trailblazer in different regards. Firstly, Enugu was the first state to have its own electricity regulatory commission and the only state currently engendering a new dawn in the education sector through the construction of 260 Smart Green School.  Currently and for two consecutive years running, it is the only state allocating a whopping 33 percent to the education sector. It has never happened anywhere else in Africa.

As Obi did in Anambra State, Mbah is demolishing mansions and other property linked to kidnapping in accordance to Enugu State laws (as Obi also did). He is aggressively fighting crimes and insecurity. Today, Enugu is the safest state in the South East and one of the safest in the country. What the man is doing with technology against insecurity has never been seen anywhere else in Nigeria. In less than one year, he completed one the biggest, if not the biggest and most sophisticated Command Centres in Africa. He has installed sophisticated, AI-enabled cameras in Enugu City and LGAs. He is intentionally in securing Enugu and building massive infrastructure that are turning Enugu into the preferred investment destination and home for all Nigerians.

Although Flavour Chinedu Okoli is from Anambra State, the iconic Nigerian musician held his late father’s funeral ceremonies in Enugu. Also, Senator Victor Umeh from Anambra held his daughter’s traditional marriage in Enugu. That couldn’t have been possible without Peter Mbah tackling insecurity headlong on assumption of office. Before now, the state was locked down every Monday. Even roads around the Lion Building, the state’s seat of power, were barricaded, causing serious traffic on the Rangers Avenue and Presidential Road axis. Normal work was paralysed at the Government House on Mondays in those days. But today, most businesses now open on Mondays and whatever is left of the weekly sit-at-home scourge is dying a natural death, as Ndi Enugu have seen their governor successfully call the bluffs of the Finland-based terrorizer of his people, whom he described as a “murderer, scammer, and common criminal”.

Looking at all these, it is little wonder and somewhat prophetically intriguing that Nigeria’s Minister of Works and a former Ebonyi State Governor, Senator Dave Umahi, refers to Peter Mbah as the “Governor General of Eastern Nigeria”. Coming from Umahi, a key figure in the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), as opposed to Mbah, who is a member of the leading opposition, such a proclamation cannot be taken for granted. Simply put, Umahi recognised the fact that Governor Mbah is way ahead based on all Good Governance Key Performance Indicators such as Security & Rule of Law, Infrastructural Development, Education & Human Capital Development, WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) & Healthcare, Ease of Doing Business/Commerce & Industry, Inclusivity (Gender/PWDs/Child Rights). Again, it captures the essence of Enugu as the seat of power of the defunct Eastern Region, just like Kaduna and Ibadan play similar roles in the former Northern and Western regions, respectively. This status of Enugu had gravely waned over the years, but Mbah is vigorously reviving it through infrastructural crusade and repackaging.

Again, instead of dwelling on the indigene/non-indigene dichotomy, as some Enugu elders wish, Mbah, in line with his new role as “Eastern Governor General” is opening up Enugu to every Igbo, every Easterner, and every Nigerian and even foreigner, regardless of state of origin. Among his appointees, you could count several Yoruba and even Whites from Europe and USA.

One did not have time or space to talk about the roads he is doing. He awarded 81 urban and rural roads in October last year. While Ndi Enugu were yet to get used to that, he awarded another 141 roads in August, including the dualisation of the Abakpa Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road. Infrastructure at the 10,000-hectre New Enugu City is equally being constructed at high speed.

Indeed, like him or hate him, Mbah is in a world of his own in delivering good governance and Ndi Enugu are happy with the choice they made in 2023.

Oji is the Convener, South East Good Governance Project (SEGGOP)