It is Full Moon in Enugu Under Gov Mbah
James Eze
Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah reminds me of Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara. As the Premier of the old Eastern Region, Okpara built what was considered the fastest growing economy in parts of Africa from 1959 to 1966. The acuity of Okpara’s vision and administrative competence ensured that the old Eastern Region, split into nine states today, had strong economic fundamentals that still serve the people to this day. Today, a monument stands in his memory. Right in the heart of Enugu, Okpara Square, named after him, glimmers in the oriental sun – a place where history whispers in muted tones and voices rise like drums at dawn to invoke a proud heritage. The Square is a timeless stage for an unending conversation between legacy, leadership and identity. The Okpara example reminds us that a good leader can change the lot of his people in a handful of years. Perhaps, walking in Okpara’s shadow, it took Governor Mbah less than three years to re-imagine Enugu State. And this is not a hyperbole. There’s sufficient evidence to undergird it.
Governor Peter Mbah’s impact is colossal. Nobody saw him coming. His masterful handling of the security nightmare that had overwhelmed the South-east when he took over power deserves a special mention. When he launched a sophisticated command and control centre which offers a bird’s eye view of all the flash points in the state, Mbah signaled his intention to make Enugu a preferred destination for business and leisure. He understood the job at hand. Investors go where there is peace. So, he prioritized security. And today, Enugu is an oasis in the roiling sea of insecurity; serene, clean and green!
Mbah’s prioritization of education in Enugu State is not a knee jerk decision. It came from deep thinking. Enugu people are known for their brilliance. Mbah figured that the best way to empower Enugu children is to give them quality education. His Smart Green School initiative perfectly bestraddle today and tomorrow. And what’s more? He made sure that a unit of the school is cited in each of the 260 electoral wards in the state. Unlike previous administrations that set up model schools in the senatorial zones, Mbah gave access to every child in Enugu State. Mbah’s Smart School blocks offer a psychological tonic to rural kids who would not only be seeing such architectural wonders for the first time but would relish the privilege of studying in them. This is a clear marker of a leader that has boldly accepted responsibility for the future.
By the way, the hosting of over 20,000 lawyers in Enugu at the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) last year launched Enugu into a new orbit. For the first time in living memory, Enugu rose to her feet to enjoy privileges hitherto reserved for Lagos and Abuja. Only a few Nigerian cities has the capacity to host such a large number of sophisticated professionals for a period of time. Enugu did it without a single incident. Thanks to Mbah’s adroit leadership and wisdom in completing the International Conference Centre which had been abandoned for 16 years. Not only did Mbah complete the project; he left a trademark seal of excellence on the complex. No conferencing facility in Nigeria comes close to Enugu International Conference Centre in class and aesthetics. Not surprisingly, he left the same signature of refined taste on other legacy projects like the iconic Hotel Presidential, Niger Gas Company, Enugu Palm Products Limited, 9th Mile Water Scheme, Sunrise Flour Mills (ongoing) and other moribund assets hitherto left to rot away in neglect. In doing so, Mbah had carved his own path diligently; shunning the well-worn Nigerian leadership pattern of abandoning the projects of predecessors.
A most audacious demonstration of the continuity of government is the world-class 330-bed International Hospital which is nearing completion at the moment.This avant-garde medical facility is the first of its kind in the region. A relic of a previous administration which had rotted away for 16 years, ignored by two successive administrations, Mbah saw it differently; and Enugu is the ultimate beneficiary of that broad vision.
To my mind, Governor Mbah’s most futuristic project is the Haier Factory project, which manufactures smart phones, laptops, tablets and smart school boards in Enugu. The factory is expected to produce 200,000 ICT units annually. This ambitious project will lend roots to ICT in the state, eventually leading to a range of made-in-Enugu digital devices. With it, Enugu is staking a claim to strong digital aspirations under Mbah. What a dare! “Not failure, but low aim, is the crime,” says American poet, critic and editor, James Russell Lowell.
Indeed, Mbah’s personal projects are all remarkable. They touch Ndi Enugu personally. Enugu Air is a breath of fresh air in Nigerian aviation. The impact of the airline is revolutionary. Testimonies from frequent flyers confirm this while the increase in the fleet and expansion to regional routes attest to its wide acceptance. The upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to host more international flights indicates a level of strategic thinking that is rare in this part of the world. The injection of 200 CNG buses playing different routes in the state have also turned out to be one of the people-centred initiatives of Mbah’s regime. Ultramodern bus stations have changed the faces of Enugu and Nsukka. The chaos and confusion that once reigned in motor parks now belong to the past.
Truth be told, no governor in recent years has shown a better understanding of the symbolism of the city of Enugu in the Southern Nigeria than Governor Mbah. His robust city renewal campaign confirms this. In three years, Mbah has changed the Enugu cityscape with over 300 urban roads scattered across various arteries of Enugu. Locations like Thinkers Corner, Idaw River and Trans Ekulu that had suffered decades of neglect have become city marvels with sparkling roads.
Mbah tends Enugu like a gardener tends his flowers. Open spaces are carefully redesigned and imbued with dazzling aesthetics. Streets and alleyways are swept with clockwork precision. Roads are not completed until they are marked and painted. And when a governor has about 260 projects at different stages of completion across the state, he is not just here to lead, he has come to earn his place in history.
* Eze, a poet, journalist and Communications Strategist, writes from Enugu
