Mbah Urged to Balance Economic Growth, Infrastructure Devt with Poverty Reduction

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has been urged to strike a balance between revenue growth, infrastructural development and poverty reduction in order to make citizens feel the real impact of governance.
The advice was contained in a statement by the Enugu State 2023 governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Ray Ogbodo, following his assessment of the trajectory of development under Mbah’s administration.

In the statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Azubuike Afam, Ogbodo noted there was no doubt that Enugu has witnessed increased revenue and accompanying infrastructure development in the state.
But the former governorship flag bearer claimed the growth in revenue has not been matched with reduction in poverty index, saying “there is worsening hardship and rising poverty after 32 months in office”.

He said he has been observing Mbah’s governance style since he came into office and after 32 months into the administration, “silence is no longer an option” hence his decision to speak out and give advice on the way forward.
“It would be unfair not to acknowledge the governor’s vision and ambition, but that vision alone isn’t governance,” Ogbodo said, adding that “Mbah came into office with confidence, clarity of intent, and an aggressive economic posture”.

He made it known that his scrutiny of the present Enugu government was borne out of “a deep sense of responsibility, (and) not just as a political opponent, but as a stakeholder, a former governorship candidate, and a citizen compelled by conscience and reality”.

Alluding to the spate of attendant economic and social dislocations suffered by people as a result of the infrastructural projects of Mbah’s administration, Ogbodo pointed out Enugu people were yet to feel the benefits.
“He said: The reality across Enugu communities is grim and unmistakable. Despite huge inflows from federal allocations and acclaimed IGR growth, Enugu people are still suffering and many are worse off.

“Families can no longer afford basic necessities. Traders and small businesses are collapsing under economic pressure and multiple levies. Youth unemployment remains dangerously high.
“Many rural communities feel abandoned and invisible. Hunger, frustration, and despair are becoming normalised”.
Ogbodo, who is a management expert and strategist, tasked the Mbah administration to confront “the painful contradiction” and not live in self-denial because “government revenues are rising, but the people are sinking deeper into poverty”.

“No amount of statistical celebration can explain this away,” he stated, adding that “it this point in the administration, Enugu people deserve honesty, not optics. They deserve leadership that listens, not one that speaks only in numbers”.
The former AAC candidate noted that it’s good that Mbah’s administration has “consistently projected itself as reform-driven, data-focused, and determined to reposition Enugu economically”.

However, he stated such positive posture “on paper, are indicators of seriousness and scale, but in reality, it’s a different story” hence the need to pursue people-centred policies and balance development with wealth creation.
According to him, “leadership is not an academic exercise, governance is not a PowerPoint presentation, and ambition is not impact hence “any economic policy that extracts, but doesn’t empower people isn’t good”.

He warned that “an economy does not grow by taxing suffering citizens into submission. Economic policy must empower production before it pursues extraction”.
“Let this be stated clearly: Growth that does not reduce poverty is deception. Development that bypasses the masses is exclusion. A government cannot claim success while its people cannot afford to live,” Ogbodo stated.

He, therefore advised the Enugu Governor “to correct the course” of his policies and actions in order to achieve resounding success at the end of the day as “no administration can sustainably succeed against the weight of popular hardship”.
“This call for course correction is not to score points. It is to sound an alarm. Enugu does not need less ambition, it needs human-centred leadership,” the AAC chieftain said.

He proffered the a number of solutions, saying, “I urge the administration to urgently recalibrate its priorities: Shift from revenue obsession to people protection, especially for the poor and the endangered middle class.
“Stop suffocating SMEs and the informal sector, they are the backbone of Enugu’s economy and must be supported, not punished.

“Focus on job creation and income security, not just capital-intensive projects that do not translate to livelihoods.
“Deepen transparency and accountability, so citizens can see, trust, and believe in governance again.
“Govern with empathy, not just efficiency. Policies should reflect the pain and aspirations of real people”.