Mbah, Tinubu Get 2027 Re-election Endorsement from Non-Indigenes, Support Group

.Arthur Eze, non-indigenes pledge support for APC candidates from top to bottom

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu

A political support group, Nwanne Di Na Mba Grand Assembly, yesterday endorsed Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027, pledging to mobilise support for all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general elections.

Governor Mbah in another event, assured the church that the Smart Green Schools initiative of his administration was never meant to displace the church from playing its well established role in the state’s basic education system.

Also, in a landmark deal the Enugu State Government and Humatrix Limited have signed a partnership agreement to establish a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub in the state.
The agreement, signed at Government House, Enugu, marks the implementation phase of the initiative, whose long-term target is to create over 100,000 jobs for young people and position Enugu as a leading destination for digital services in Nigeria and Africa.

The Nwanne Di Na Mba Grand Assembly, which has Anambra-born billionaire businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, as its Grand Patron, made the declaration during a rally held at Okpara Square, Enugu, attended by supporters drawn from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Speaking at the event, Governor Mbah described the massive turnout as an expression of democracy in action, thanking the group for what he called an open demonstration of love, solidarity and confidence in his administration and the Federal Government.

He said the gathering reflected the willingness of people from different parts of the country to unite in support of President Tinubu’s re-election and the continuation of his administration’s development programmes in Enugu State.

Mbah, who attributed some of the state’s development strides to the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, said increased financial resources available to subnational governments had enabled his administration to implement projects across critical sectors.

“Because you believe in what you can see, what you can touch and what you can feel. Can you see the Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres? Can you see the good roads? Do you drive on them? Now you can drive on smooth roads, send your children to high-quality schools and access affordable healthcare,” he said.

The governor listed the 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres and 268 Smart Green Schools among the projects through which his administration was translating the opportunities created by the Federal Government’s reforms into tangible development outcomes.

He maintained that Enugu’s progress was linked to the policies of the Tinubu administration, urging residents to support the President’s re-election to enable both governments to consolidate their achievements.

According to him, the state was also benefiting from improved connectivity and emerging regional economic opportunities, including the establishment of the South East Development Commission, the proposed gas pipeline network across the South-East and the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

He said the proposed developments would facilitate industrialisation, trade, cargo operations and international connectivity, adding that the ongoing transformation of the state and region should be sustained.

“Enugu means home to all of us. We all have a stake in Enugu, and that is why you have come out in your numbers to say that the good work and hard work must continue,” he said.

Mbah urged eligible residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the 2027 elections, calling for support for Tinubu and all APC candidates contesting for elective positions.

He also assured the people that his administration would build on the progress recorded so far, saying, “With the strength I see here today, with the energy and resolve you have demonstrated, we are committing to do more. What you should expect is more.”

In his remarks, Grand Patron of the group, Prince Eze, described Mbah as a leader who related positively with people and maintained good relationships across political and social divides.

He said the governor’s support for President Tinubu and the confidence the President had in him were reasons the group was backing both leaders.

“Peter Mbah is supporting Tinubu very well, and we will support him because he will bring a lot to Ndi Igbo through Tinubu, because Tinubu trusts him very well. We cannot abandon him because he never abandoned anyone,” Eze said.

He urged the people of Enugu to support both leaders in the forthcoming elections, expressing confidence that their administrations would create more opportunities for the people.

Also speaking, the Sarkin Hausawa, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf Sambo, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, said the rally was organised to appreciate Mbah’s administration for its inclusive governance and the opportunities extended to non-indigenes living in the state.

Sambo, who spoke on behalf of Yoruba, Tiv and other ethnic communities, said members of the different communities had benefited from the administration’s programmes, particularly in education, healthcare, infrastructure and political appointments.

He said children from non-indigene communities had access to Smart Green Schools, while their mothers benefited from the Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres. He also commended the administration’s road infrastructure projects.

“We are happy with your governance and the way you have been carrying us along in Enugu State. We are part of all the programmes going on in the state,” he said.

Sambo pledged the group’s support for Mbah and Tinubu, declaring that its members would vote for APC candidates across all elective positions, from the presidency to the State House of Assembly.

He added that the rally was a preliminary demonstration of the group’s mobilisation capacity ahead of the planned visit of President Tinubu to the state.

Earlier, the Convener of the group and Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Uche Anya, said the rally was only the beginning of a broader mobilisation effort by non-indigenes and residents of the state’s urban centres in support of the governor’s second-term ambition.

Anya said the people appreciated Mbah’s development initiatives and would resist any attempt to undermine or reverse the administration’s achievements.

He disclosed that non-indigenes in the municipality had mandated him to communicate their resolve to support the governor and President Tinubu in 2027.

According to him, the communities were also committed to voting for all APC candidates, citing the Federal Government’s support for Enugu State and Tinubu’s role in integrating the state into the mainstream of national politics.

“The non-indigenes in the municipality promise that the mistakes of 2023 will never happen again. They will vote President Tinubu for his good works, for integrating Enugu into the mainstream of Nigerian politics and for believing in you,” Anya said.

He added that the group’s message was one of appreciation for both the state and Federal Government, reaffirming its commitment to the APC’s candidates in the 2027 general elections.

The rally attracted several dignitaries, including the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu; Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye; Enugu State APC Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunwike; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); members of the National and State Assemblies; members of the State Executive Council; other government appointees and party faithful.

Meanwhile, Governor who Mbah gave the assurance in his keynote address at the 38th Convention of the Canon Law Society of Nigeria (CLSN), held at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu, said that his administration considers the church as an indispensable partner in educational development hence there would always be room for it to sustain its age-long contribution to education growth.

The convention took place alongside the 95th birthday celebration of the society’s founder and Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Most Rev. Anthony Gbuji.

Mbah acknowledged the historic contributions of the church to education in Enugu State, the defunct Eastern Region and Nigeria, stressing that no responsible government could afford to disregard such a rich legacy and continuing role in shaping the educational system.

In the address entitled, ‘Role of the Church in Shaping Education and Development in Enugu State’, Mbah noted that concerns had been raised on impact the scale of government’s investment in public schools would have on church-owned institutions.

“I understand that concern. These are institutions that have educated generations of our people. Their leaders have every reason to care about their place in Enugu’s educational future.

“So, I want to answer them directly: The church is essential to the educational transformation we are undertaking,” he said.

According to him, “it would be deeply counterproductive for government to invest in a new system of learning while allowing church educators and institutions to become disconnected from it.

“We need you in our basic education system. We need your teachers, your experience and your continuing commitment to the development of our children,” he told the church.

Mbah urged church educators to embrace emerging methods of teaching and learning while preserving the values and traditions that had distinguished their contribution to education.

He stressed the need for government and the church must continue to work together as partners in progress and nation-building, noting that the transition to new learning methods would require adjustments in established practices.

Mbah said that the church really has “an opportunity to embrace new educational methods while preserving the values and traditions that have distinguished its contribution.”

“We will have to work through practical questions about training, standards, resources and implementation. Some established practices will need to change,” he said.

Mbah said his administration was committed to translating the partnership with the church into practical measures, including extending professional development opportunities to church educators.

He stated that Catholic priests were already being incorporated into the training process, adding that teachers in church-owned schools should benefit from the capacity-building opportunities being created under the new education initiative.

“Our intention is that church educators should have access to the professional development opportunities being created for teachers in government schools.

“As we introduce experiential learning, we want educators across both systems to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to participate. That is an obligation I believe the government should take seriously,” he said.

Mbah recalled the historical contribution of the church, saying that Catholic missionaries had played a pivotal role in expanding access to education, training teachers and creating opportunities for families long before the emergence of the present educational system.

He noted that mission schools across the former Eastern Region became centres of learning and intellectual ambition, helping to shape generations of educated Nigerians hence “the Catholic Church has earned a distinguished place in the educational history of Enugu and Nigeria.”

“Long before our present educational system took shape, missionaries were establishing schools, training teachers and opening opportunities for families who understood that education could change the course of their children’s lives.

“Across the former Eastern Region, mission schools became centres of learning and intellectual ambition. So, we owe a considerable debt to that inheritance,” he added.

The governor further noted that the church’s contribution extended beyond establishing schools and producing graduates, describing its role in nurturing moral values and a sense of responsibility to society as equally significant.

He, therefore, insisted that educational development must produce not only accomplished individuals but also responsible citizens who understand the importance of contributing to the common good.

“A nation can produce highly accomplished individuals and still fail to build a society in which people flourish together. The difference lies partly in what those individuals understand their accomplishments to be for.

“The church helped establish an educational tradition that recognised this connection between personal development and responsibility to others. That is an inheritance worth carrying into the future,” he said.

The governor, who was given an Award of Excellence by the Canon Law Society of Nigeria in recognition of his accomplishments in the governance of Enugu State.

He thanked the church for the honour. saying that the recognition had further strengthened his administration’s resolve to make Enugu State a preferred destination for investment, business, tourism and living.

The Chairman of the Canon Law Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Ernest Obodo, in his remarks urged Catholic priests to uphold the provisions of the Canon Law, particularly Canon 287, concerning partisan political activities.

Obodo, who is also the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, said priests must remain fathers to all and avoid any conduct that could compromise the church’s moral authority and credibility.

He noted that statements made from the pulpit could divide communities, while silence in the face of injustice could amount to a betrayal of the Gospel.

“Nothing destroys the credibility of the church faster than a priest who becomes a political sycophant and whose candidate later fails or is found corrupt. The people would then say, ‘The Church is just like them,’” he said.

In another development, the Enugu State Government gave the nod for the establishment of the BPO hub as it aligns with Governor Mbah’s economic diversification agenda, human capital development policy and drive to attract private investment.

Director of Humatrix Limited, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, explained that the firm chose Enugu for the BPO after assessing its investment climate, policy consistency and the state government’s commitment to economic transformation.

According to him, “it was very easy for us to choose Enugu (because) Enugu is investing, and there is consistency. Most importantly, we have a supportive environment. These are core things any business would request to scale.”

Peterside said that the company would commence operations with a 750-seat BPO centre, expand to over 2,000 seats within the first year and then target 100,000 jobs within five years.

He explained that the initiative would go beyond direct employment by equipping young people with industry-relevant digital and technological skills, connecting them to employment opportunities and attracting global companies seeking skilled talent.

The Humatrix director said that the Enugu  government had already provided a building for the take-off of the project, adding that recruitment and training opportunities would be opened to interested Enugu youths.

He commended the government’s rigorous negotiation process, describing the diligence and thoroughness demonstrated by its multi-agency team as evidence of the seriousness with which Enugu approaches investment partnerships.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on MSME and Digital Economy, Mr. Arinze Chilo-Offiah, said the partnership represented a significant step towards actualising the governor’s vision of growing Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

He explained that the Enugu Talent City Initiative was designed to position the state as a leading digital services and outsourcing hub in Nigeria and Africa, attracting global companies, creating employment and enabling young people to work for international clients from Enugu.

The SA further disclosed that the state’s long-term ambition was to develop an outsourcing ecosystem with up to 300,000 seats by 2031, building on the initial 750-seat BPO centre and expanding opportunities for digitally skilled youths.

In his response, Mbah said the partnership was consistent with his administration’s commitment to ensuring that young people could acquire relevant skills, secure rewarding employment and build their futures in Enugu rather than leave the state in search of opportunities.

“We want the ‘japa’ where we can stay in Enugu and serve companies across the world, anywhere in the world,” he said.

Mbah described the initiative as an opportunity for young people to earn globally competitive incomes while living in their home state and directly contributing to its economic growth.

He noted that over 33 per cent of the state’s expenditure was dedicated to human capital development, reflecting his administration’s emphasis on education, skills acquisition and workforce preparation.

Mbah stressed that development of talent must go hand in hand with attracting companies capable of employing that talent, adding that private capital would be critical to achieving the state’s ambitions of economic growth.

He reiterated his administration’s ambition to scale the digital economy through the proposed Talent City and Digital Industrial Park, expressing confidence that the infrastructure could support growth beyond the 100,000-job target set by Humatrix.

The Enugu Governor hinted at his administration’s determination to connect investments in education with industries that can translate knowledge and skills into productive employment.