FULL TEXT OF STATE BROADCAST BY THE GOVERNOR OF ENUGU STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, DR. PETER NDUBUISI MBAH, ON HIS FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 6, 2023*
1. Ndi Enugu, on this day, 100 days ago, we gathered to inaugurate this administration under the mandate you freely handed me in trust. Today, as we commemorate the 100 days anniversary of that momentous occasion, it is only fitting that we spare a moment to reflect on the time spent, specifically identifying what has been achieved and matters we are still working on, as well as, of course, areas where we are still finalizing plans to address.
2. In my inaugural speech, I spoke confidently like a marathoner who understood the contours of the race he was about to run. Like a visioner, I saw ahead of this time. My eyes penetrated layers of months and years ahead into our own brand of the Promised Land. While many saw what we forecast as our plans in office as overtly ambitious, we were convinced that, with the active support of Ndi Enugu, we would outshoot our projections.
3. In my the speech, I made two instructive anecdotes to evoke the future that lies ahead of Ndi Enugu. They were narratives of Emeka and Ikechukwu. Today, the 100 days anniversary of our being in office, a hopeless Emeka may not have totally transformed into an Ikechukwu but the fertilization of the ground for the growth of an Ikechukwu has begun in earnest.
4. In 100 days, I have used every fibre of my being to serve you. I wake up and go to bed thinking of what will change the lives of an average Enugu man/woman on the street. Nothing in the world seems to matter to me; indeed, nothing in the world compares to making Ndi Enugu a happier people.
5. Yes, this journey isn’t the quick dash of a 100-meter race but a marathon. Those who know the stuff with which superstructures are built will know that we have spend our first 100 days preparing the enduring foundation of all the promises we made to our people.
6. We have run a purpose-driven leadership that is woven round the interests and overall well-being of our people. It gives me the kick spending quality time deliberating over matters that will change the quality of life of the people.
7. In that same inaugural speech, I spoke glowingly of our commitment to growing the economy of Enugu State, to set our State on the path to achieve a GDP of $30b in the next 8 yearswhile eradicating poverty. This has remained our overriding focus, and in the journey towards that objective, we have hit the ground running and achieved a number of exciting landmarks in the last 100 days.
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8. As we all know, economic development of any sort is almost an impossibility in an environment of insecurity. This was why we faced the issue of insecurity in the State squarely. We tackled relentlessly the proscription of the unlawful Monday Sit-at-Home order in Enugu State. We were resolute in making sure that we eradicate it from our state. As we all can see, we have made tremendous progress in this regard.
9. We have also backed up this thrust by boosting security presence in Enugu State working with the Nigeria Police, the Army and all other security forces. We have launched the Distress Response Squad in the State and have already procured a number of vehicles to enhance their effectiveness and mobility. We are not stopping at this as we are about to commence the rollout of a statewide CCTV camera network which will provide 247 surveillance of the State and inform swift security response to any breach of peace anywhere in our State. In this same vein, we are in the advanced stages of establishing a Security Trust Fund to make our heightened security posture more sustainable in the long term.
10. In the area of energy supply and management, we have successfully signed into law the Enugu State Power law, which domesticates the Electricity Act 2023 and now gives the State regulatory power to establish an Enugu State Electricity Market and to attract investors to expand power generation and distribution across the State. In addition to this, we have developed the Enugu State Electricity Policy which contains the Enugu State Electricity market design and participants. It goes without saying that these achievementsare a critical step in the effort to industrialize our state. This is because there cannot be any sustainable industry in the absence of affordable power supply.
11. We also promised to hold, within 100 days in office, an investors’ roundtable in Enugu attracting investors from all over the world. Last week, on September 1, we held a hugely successful roundtable which attracted the best of the private sector and the development partner sector with the likes of AfDB, AFREXIM,FCDO, the World Bank etc. in attendance. While the roundtable is not an end in itself, it signposts Enugu’s seriousness about the race to attract private capital into the State. It also marks the beginning of the process of working with the investment world to curate our project pipeline, with the aim of preparing them for investment in the not distant future.
12. Related to the matter of attracting external capital, we have repositioned the state in its relationship with key development partners like the World Bank, AFD (the French Development Agency) and opened the door to new funding for the State’s projects. In line with this new posture, we have
o Recently paid our share of the funding for the International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme development of agricultural value chains totaling N274m, which will facilitate the receipt of up to N1.2billion from IFAD for developing agricultural markets and increasing market access for smallholder farmers and small to medium-scale agro-processors. It will also enhance smallholder productivity – and thus increasing the volume and quality of marketable produce – by strengthening farmers’ organizations as well as supporting smallholder production.
o We have also met all our obligations regarding joining the World Bank Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support project (L-PRES), a 6-year project aimed at improving livestock productivity, resilience and commercialization of selected value chains to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to crises or emergency. This programme is expected to attract up to $10m into Enugu’s livestock value chain over the planned period
o We have met all the obligations for joining the Nigeria for Women project, including committing over N400m as our counterpart funding for the project which is a strategic long term partnership between the Federal Government and the World Bank to support the Government’s goal of ensuring gender equality. This arrangement will result in the inflow of up to $10m to Enugu State over the planned period for the execution of projects to boost the economic capacity of our women in Enugu State and consequently our households.
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13.In line with these initial steps, we plan to continue to leverage the support of these and other development partners and multilateral agencies to bring development to Ndi Enugu.
· Further to our commitment to increasing revenue generation and blocking all income leakages to make government more efficient, we have undertaken a detailed review of operational processes in key MDAs, and commenced a full automation of all the key functions of the State government. Under this programme, we have currently developed an Artificial Intelligence-powered process automation flow that will ensure that Certificates of Occupancy will soon be generated within 48 hours in Enugu. The resulting Unified Architecture will also enhance annual Internally Generated Revenues from land transactions. We have also set up an ultra-modern and intelligent government website and currently at least 11 MDAs have had their data uploaded and can be accessed online.
· Agriculture is a key plank in our economic growth plan, and in line with this, we have also made significant progress in the Sector. We have commenced the formation of the Enugu State Agricultural Land Bank where we plan to ultimately set aside up to 300,000 hectares of land for agricultural use. Land is currently being earmarked under a partnership with willing communities across selected local governments and surveyed for this purpose. We have also commenced the planting of cassava under the pilot scheme of the Cassava to Ethanol program in Aninri, Nkanu East and Uzo-Uwani. This is a partnership with Biosources & Technologies Limited aimed at developing the bio-economy sector of Enugu State.
· In the area of pension and gratuity payments, we have been able to reconfirm all pending pension and gratuity payments, and payments of arrears have since been started. In addition, we have commenced the clean-up and overhaul of all outstanding pensions and gratuities to local government workers and primary school teachers.
· We have also commenced the review of the Enugu Pension Law with a view to adopting the Contributory Pension Scheme in Enugu State so as to ensure that we move away from the challenges encountered with the current problematic defined benefits schemes in operation in the State.
· We have also addressed the issue of waste disposal and management in the State, with a revitalization of the Waste management agency ESWAMA. We have now cleared up all the major collections of uncleared refuse littering various parts of Enugu metropolis, Nsukka and other towns in the State. To ensure this drive is sustained we have now commenced the use of specialized refuse compactor trucks to ensure efficient removal of municipal waste.
· To enhance the fiscal synergy between all tiers of government in the State, we have reached a mutual understanding with the Local Governments where we shall collaborate by contributing towards the achievement of critical projects.
· In the area of sports management, it has continued to be a matter of concern to this administration that our leading football brand in the State, Rangers International FC, does not play at its traditional home ground at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. To address this anomaly, we have taken immediate steps to complete the re-laying of the playing surface at the Stadium. All requisite payments have been made and we can assure the lovers of Rangers that our darling team will return to playing its home games in our own stadium before the end of November.
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14. During these 100 days most importantly, we have done a lot of thoughtful planning to lay the groundwork for some of the rapid progress which Ndi Enugu can look forward to in the near future. Examples of the fruits of this hard work include:
· This government realizes the importance of water. Mmiri bu ndu. We have made extensive progress in meeting our promise to provide water to Ndi Enugu. Currently, we have commenced production of over 25 million litres of water daily at our Ninth Mile location, the most we have achieved in the last 20 years, and we are poised to have up to 70 million liters daily by the end of next month. At this rate, we are ahead of the curve in our race to deliver water to Ndi Enugu by the end of November which will mark 180 days since our inauguration, in line with our promise.
· We have also planned a new Enugu City, which will provide space to decongest Enugu city and allow it grow rapidly, while providing real estate investment opportunities for Ndi Enugu as well as investors from the diaspora. The design of this new city is at an advanced stage.
· In the next few weeks, work will commence on 81 urban roads across the State, and at least 2 fly over bridges (at Abakpa and Holy Ghost-Ogbete-Old Park axis) as well as 7 of our priority roads, many of which are going to be built anew.
· Commencement of the construction of 260 model basic schools across the wards in the State. This will mark the commencement of our Cut-Off point programme, an expected turnaround of basic education in Enugu State
· Commencement of the refurbishment of at least 260 Primary Health Care Centres in the State to help ensure access to quality healthcare across the state.
15. As I mentioned at the beginning of this speech, these are very early days yet and there is certainly hard work to do in the months and years ahead. However, these first few days have reconfirmed my confidence that our stated objectives, though they may appear ambitious, are far from unrealizable.
16. First, I have seen the strong willingness of the private sector to invest in the State, as well as the unrelenting support available from the numerous development agencies, but most importantly, I have experienced the spirit and resilience of Ndi Enugu, which have become ever more apparent to me in these last 100 days.
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17. These give me hope and confidence in the future of the State.
18. In the coming quarters, I will continue to keep you up to date regarding our progress on this journey that we have committed to undertake together. This we will do through townhall sessions and media briefings by myself or other delegated officers of government.
19.As I bring this address to a close, let me thank the staff of the Enugu State Government and my appointed cabinet for their unalloyed commitment to this job at hand. I trust that I can continue to rely on your support and loyalty in the coming years as we work to realize our promising tomorrow in Enugu State.
20. I must also again thank Ndi Enugu for choosing us for this job, and We will continue to deliver output that continually reaffirms to you that you have made the right choice.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu’s overseas travels and exact whereabouts have again become a subject of speculation. On August 29, Tinubu embarked on a trip to China, and Nigerians were told he would make a brief stopover in Dubai. He suddenly reappeared in London on Wednesday.
He had landed in Beijing in the early hours of September 1. He had a busy week meeting and signing agreements with Chinese political and business leaders on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The President concluded his official engagements in China by meeting with Nigerians living in the country on September 5. He left China the same day.
Since then, Nigerians have not been told exactly where he was until he visited King Charles III on Wednesday. A State House statement on September 6 said that the President had directed that victims of the Maiduguri flood should be evacuated, and relief provided. The statement neglected to indicate where the President was issuing orders from.
It is disturbing that citizens do not know the whereabouts of their President. The office of the President is a public trust, and citizens have a right to know where the President is. Between his departure from Beijing and appearance in London, no explanations were offered. Such evasiveness is below the Presidency.
This is not the first time that Tinubu has given Nigerians the slip. On April 23, the President travelled to The Netherlands to visit the then Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, before journeying on to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held between April 28 and 29.
Six days after the event, he had not returned, and Nigerians started asking questions which were met with silence by the Presidency until May 8 when it revealed that Tinubu would be returning from Europe the next day.
On January 24, Tinubu left for a “private visit” to France details of which were shrouded in secrecy and set off health rumours until his return after two weeks. On August 19, Tinubu flew for the first time in the new presidential jet to Paris, France, for what the Presidency described as a brief work stay, details of which were not given. He returned after three days.
While the President has been away, the home front has been in disarray with the petrol crisis lingering for over a month and floods overtaking many states including Borno and Bauchi. Terrorists and bandits have been running riot as usual. Such situations require the leader of the country to be on the ground, rallying a response and finding solutions, not taking extended holidays.
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The President should appreciate the weight of his responsibilities. Pontificating in China about the necessity of petrol subsidy removal being the magic wand to bridge the country’s massive infrastructure deficit when citizens at home are spending 16 hours in petrol queues is insensitive.
It is inconceivable that the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and China will not account for their whereabouts to citizens.
Tinubu has continued in the disdainful tradition of his predecessors, taking Nigerians for granted. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua spent months in foreign hospitals in a vegetative state while his aides lied to Nigerians about his ability to function in office until he died in May 2010. Former President Muhammadu Buhari spent 225 days abroad on medical trips without any accounting to the citizens.
In a presidential system, the office of the President is of utmost importance as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The president of the United States travels around with the country’s nuclear codes. Americans know where he is always.
Democracy means accountability and Tinubu should know. A penchant for the President to undertake surreptitious visits to foreign capitals diminishes the office. (PUNCH Editorial)
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, says his administration is on course to meeting all his campaign promises and vision, including making the state the premier destination for investment, business, tourism and living as well as grow the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.
Mbah explained that his government’s fidelity to the Citizens’ Charter, which he executed on May 29, 2023 immediately after his inauguration and courage to bring that vision to fruition had remained unbroken, saying his administration’s efforts were vindicated by visible turnaround in public infrastructure and sustained increase in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.
He stated these in his 48-minute first anniversary broadcast on Wednesday, giving a breakdown of achievements in the various sectors issues such as security, water, education, roads, health, agriculture, power, judiciary, transportation, and important issues such as waste management, human capital development and workers’ welfare, climate change, and revival of moribund assets and assets recovery.
The governor said that while it was yet morning on creations day, the administration “crossed many watermarks of success.”
On security, the governor said his administration had strengthened the capacity of various security agencies in Enugu State, leading to “a significant drop in crime in our communities.”
“But despite that, we stayed proactive and vigilant. This is evident in our Security Command Centre, a technology-enabled platform offering a real-time, round-the-clock surveillance of our major streets and neighbourhoods via CCTV cameras placed at strategic locations.
“Our establishing of the Security Trust Fund yet underscores our determination to keep the entire state safe and enthrone a sustainable platform to pool resources to fund our security needs. This Trust Fund, which has been signed into law and also constituted, has helped in fostering citizens’ engagement and a sense of civic responsibility,” he stated.
Water Supply
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On the water sector, Mbah said the administration had through aggressive interventions and investment in the sector kept its promise of restoring water to Enugu metropolis in 180 days, noting however that there were still challenges in reticulation occasioned by sabotage and broken pipes installed in the colonial years, which government was addressing working on.
“Today, we have transitioned from that utterly unacceptable narrative to a situation where potable water is accessed simply by turning on taps in homes and in public galleries.
“Nonetheless, context is still important. To give us a sense of the scale of this accomplishment, let’s understand that daily water supply to Enugu municipal was an average of two million litres before our intervention. But we upped that paltry figure to 120 million litres of daily water supply. And we did so within the projected timeframe.
“I know that some would say the flow has not been consistent in their neighbourhood. That may be correct; but it’s in part due to the challenge of vandalism and largely because we are in the process of changing old asbestos pipes, which were laid in the 1950s, to modern ductile pipes. Those pipes had become brittle and corroded and could barely contain the intense water pressure. Once that process is complete, a city-wide reticulation would be achieved.
“But, again, like I noted earlier, the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of municipal problems are usually not subjects the public is easily inclined to contemplate. Solutions are what its ears are primed to listen to. And that is natural. But context remains vital, for it helps lend perspectives and shed light on presumptions and misconceptions.
“The fact is that only about 45 percent of what constitutes Enugu metropolis was reticulated, comprising mostly the older residential neighbourhoods. Much of the outlying – and fairly recent – districts were never connected to the supply grid. We have successfully delivered water to those areas originally on the distribution line, mostly including neighbourhoods where public water had not run in decades.
“On a general note, we have achieved this level of coverage across the Enugu municipal: GRA I and II – 80 per cent; Abakpa – 55 per cent; Ogui – 80 per cent; Independence Layout (including parts of Nza Street) – 60 per cent; Uwani – 85 per cent; Trans Ekulu – 30 per cent; New Haven – 85 per cent; Idaw River – 55 per cent; and Emene – 60 per cent.
Governor Peter Mbah and some of hos officials while flagged off construction of the Smart City in Enugu
“The public water supply experience in most of these neighbourhoods and their surrounding areas was at best unreliable – and at worst non-existent. And it had been that way for years. But once the issues of replacement of pipes, and water line obstruction we are seeing in several locations arising from physical planning infraction are resolved, a total coverage of reticulated areas would be achieved,” he stated.
Mbah expressed happiness that long-forgotten areas of Enugu were now wearing new looks following the award of 71 urban roads and 10 major rural roads.
He announced that the state had acquired an asphalt production plant capable of producing over 1000-ton, eco-friendly asphalt daily, which would help fix the state’s roads even beyond earlier projections.
He said, “We are, for instance, increasingly seeing roads that were, for many years, bywords for neglect and municipal dysfunction wearing new looks. I’m sure nearly everyone in Enugu wouldn’t have to think hard to cite few such neighborhoods. They abound – from the once pot-holed and dusty roads of Odudukoko and its environs in Gariki; the gullies that for years left Trans Ekulu a shell of its once glorious past; to the literally impassable Premier Layout and College Road, in Abakpa, which was a nightmare stretch for motorists and residents.
“I can say, confidently, that there is hardly anyone, who hasn’t encountered some major road construction around their locality. It hardly matters where you live.
“Our rural communities are not left out. For instance, the ongoing construction of the 40-kilometre Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Neke-Ikem Dual Carriageway that will practically open a new gateway to the North-Central region is indicative of our determination to bring a new lease of life to rural communities.”
Education
Mbah regretted that the learning imparted to Enugu children over the years was not at pace with the rapidly-changing world of knowledge, hence the administration’s Smart Green School initiative, which prototype at Owo, he said, was already up and running to ensure that Enugu children were not left behind as the rest of the world continued to take giants strides.
“The Smart Schools, which we are building in each of the state’s 260 electoral wards, are clearly at the cutting-edge of innovation. These schools are reflective of our steely resolve to bequeath to our children an experiential education that can help them navigate our evolving knowledge-driven world, and imbue them with a skillset that ensures they can practicalize what they have learnt, and are literally at ease with the tools of tomorrow’s workplace. “Our Smart School project is not an abstract dream; its prototype stands out elegantly in Owo as a pointer to what the 259 others will look like on completion by 2025. Construction works are ongoing at 135 schools, with contract for the rest due for award in the second phase.
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“Each Smart School features an interactive digital whiteboard, an internet system, robotics and artificial intelligence centre, modern ICT centre, two science laboratories, hybrid multimedia library, creative production studio, 25 inclusive classrooms and 700 Android tablets.
“Through these schools, we are nurturing a silent technological revolution. The wealth of nations may be measured in terms of material resources, oil reserves, and the like. But true wealth lies in the quality of a state’s human resources – shaped to a great degree by the attention paid to public education, for no nation can truly rise above its education standards.
“Nothing underlines our strong commitment to improve the quality of education in our dear state like the sum allocated to the sector in our budget.
“My administration’s N158.78bn education budget is both the highest per capita in the country, and in regard to the percentage of total budget sum – at 33 percent. It is also higher than UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15 per cent – 20 per cent of total annual budget. I dare say it’s perhaps highest in the world.
“The significance will be more profound if we paused for a moment to break down this figure: It implies that for every 100 Naira spent, 33 Naira goes to the education budget.
“There is no room for half measures where education is concerned,” the governor explained.
Health
In the health sector, Mbah said that besides the ongoing construction of 260 well-resourced Type 2 primary healthcare facilities across the 260 electoral wards in the state, government had paid due attention to the welfare of our healthcare workers, and have ensured that every obligation in relation to allowances as well as agreements are fulfilled.
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“This includes employment of medical practitioners, as may be necessary, to bring our doctor-to-patient ratio to acceptable standards. This would be impacted, no less, by the presence of the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences, which received further boost when I signed the bill upgrading the institution to a teaching hospital.
“Another area of success has been in the digitising of patients’ records at our various healthcare facilities, which has created a seamless access to patients’ health history at state-owned facilities,” he said.
He added that his administration was fast reviving long-abandoned and moribund assets of the state to make their viable again.
He stated, “Few weeks ago, we signed a contract for the revamp of the iconic Presidential Hotel, and works have actually begun in that regard. I also performed the groundbreaking for the 345-room International Conference Centre Hotel, Enugu, a few days ago, which would be the first 5-Star category hotel in the South East.
“The absence of a truly five-star hotel has long deprived Enugu State the opportunity of tapping into the immense benefits inherent in the expansive service industry such as conferences, meetings and events. This is despite the long illustrious history of our capital city.
“But with its completion schedule of 11 months, this hotel, alongside the 5,000-seating capacity International Conference Centre due for opening in a few months, will take us a step closer to our aim to make Enugu the Conferencing Capital of Africa. Both facilities represent key enablers of our target of three million annual tourist visits to Enugu.
“It is instructive that Presidential Hotel was built in 1963 with income earned largely from agriculture, by the premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Okpara. The same could be said of the several once thriving but now moribund industries such as Nigergas Company Limited, Niger Steel Limited, Sunrise Flour Mills, etc. We’re already taking steps towards reviving these industries.”
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Agriculture
The governor recalled that oil palm was at the heart of Eastern Region’s agro-based economy, regretting that, two of such plantations from that era located in Enugu State had “for years been in the throes of death – to put it mildly.”
“But with the signing of a N100bn partnership deal with Pragmatic Palms Ltd, a private investor, there is now a clear path to recovery for the moribund United Palm Products Ltd.
“So, we are scaling up agricultural production in Enugu State. Never again will investment in agriculture seem like a mere token gesture – or an afterthought.
“We have created 100,000 hectares of land in each of Enugu’s three senatorial zones for the cultivation of export-focused cash crops, and building the infrastructure that opens up opportunities in the entire value chain from storage to processing of agricultural produce. From this vast tract of arable farmland, we have established a land bank through which we can forge partnerships with local or foreign businesses desirous of investing in agriculture.
“A few months ago, as a matter of fact, we sealed a Public-Private Partnership deal with Ugwuanama Farms Limited for the industrial cultivation of cassava, rice, maize, banana, oil palm, yams, and sundry crops at a 15,000-hectare farmland in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
“Our investment in agriculture reflects a strong emphasis on value addition and agro-processing, hence the attention we have devoted to growing the cassava-to-ethanol value chain:
Electricity
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Governor Mbah explained that with the Enugu State Electricity Law, which he initiated and establishing the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission, Enugu had taken concrete steps towards becoming a major player in the power sector.
“This is critical to our planned industrial expansion, and our projection to attain regular power supply in no distant time, working with the private sector.
“Indeed, the ceding of regulatory oversight of the local electricity market to the Enugu State government by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission is a strong validation for our quest to develop a commercially viable electricity market that is both reliable and sustainable,” he said.
Judiciary
He said the state judiciary was not also left behind in the many reforms embarked on by his administration.
“Much progress has been achieved towards an end-to-end digitalisation and automation of court processes. So, it’s only a matter of time before cases are filed virtually.
“The deliverables of the ongoing project include establishment and equipping of virtual hearing centres for the State High Court, the Correctional Centre, and the Enugu State Multi-Door Courthouse; E-filing for lawyers; and automation and digitalization of Enugu State laws, amongst others.
Sufficient progress has also been made towards attaining Verbatim Reporting
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“But our justice reforms are by no means tailored only towards creating an improved operating environment for businesses. It is all encompassing. We have, for instance, created Small Claims Court with specialized focus covering all matters in which the amount claimed is One Million Naira or less. This is fully operational.
“Other categories of Special Courts created include Commercial Court, which deals with commercial, contracts, revenue and fast-track matters; Probate and Family Court, dealing with probate, matrimonial causes and family matters; Criminal Court responsible for criminal cases involving sentences above 14 years, including life and death sentences; Originating Applications; Lands or Real Estate Court, which handles land matters.
“The goal is creating unimpeded access to justice for all.”
He added that his government had sent over 15 executive bills to the House of Assembly all of which had been passed and assented to.
Transportation
To make commuting a more comfortable experience for the people and visitors in the state, Dr. Mbah said his administration was procuring 150 CNG buses of which 50 had already been procured for deployment across various routes.
“We are also bringing in over 2,000 taxis in conjunction with a private desirous of setting up an assembly plant in Enugu,” he added.
Following the discovery of coal in Enugu in 1909, Mbah said that Enugu city had grown from a modest colonial outpost with a handful of encampments for workers of the various coal mines to the bustling megapolis that it is today, hence the need to deal with the resulting strain on basic amenities and infrastructure.
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“Roads that once sufficed for the prevailing traffic at the time they were built have literally become too small for the sheer volume of traffic, which could be seen in the perennial gridlock experienced across the city.
“Across the world, cities’ livability drops if they lack a functional transport system with organized bus terminals that confer dignity on users and enhance seamless commuting – both at intra – and inter-state levels. Through the Central Terminal we are set to construct in Ogbete/Holy Ghost, Gariki, Abakpa and Nsukka, we’re creating a modern transportation interchange that literally opens up our beloved city and eliminates the enormous manhour that is lost to traffic on a daily basis,’ he added.
Waste Management
The governor said that although his administration had since restored Enugu Enugu State to that clean city it was known for in the past, it was doing more in waste management.
“We have carried out an extensive re-organisation of Enugu’s waste management system that has paved way for the participation of private companies, which have brought in several waste compactors trucks, in place of open trucks. This has vastly improved efficiency and resulted in a cleaner environment.
“But we intend to take our waste management a notch higher, using the tool of technology to explore the possibilities in waste-to-wealth or waste-to-energy,” he said.
Action on Climate Change
He said that as in the area of waste management, the government was intensively pursuing its promise to enthrone effective remedial actions on climate change.
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“We are acutely aware of the catastrophic impact of climate change on economic growth and livelihoods, and recognize the urgent need for a robust climate policy that will pave the way for a clean energy transition, spark green innovation, enhance climate resilience, and drive sustainable economic growth for the state, ensuring a brighter, greener future for all.
“To this end, I’m delighted to announce that Enugu State is on the verge of securing a remarkable N100m grant from the African Climate Foundation, which will be instrumental in developing a groundbreaking and innovative science-based climate change policy and action plan for the state. This pioneering initiative will be the first of its kind across the 36 states of the federation, positioning Enugu as a trailblazer in climate action and sustainable development.”
On the effort to build the New Enugu City and terminal stations, Mbah reminded that “the beauty and orderliness seen in western capitals and cities were not wished into existence, as behind those qualities lie diligent planning, respect for laws and sacrifice.”
He added that while development is sometimes akin to the early stages of road construction where there might be some slight discomfort, the end is often redeeming.”
“The Central Terminal and the Enugu New City might both seem like a long, painful walk for some. But they will ultimately result in painless, graceful strides crucial to Enugu’s rise to take its rightful pride of place among the world’s best cities.
“The Enugu New City , on the other hand, was envisioned to be the premier investment destination in Nigeria. This vibrant, integrated metropolis driven by manufacturing, commerce and tourism would boast facilities comparable to the standards in globally-renowned cities, from theme park to industrial park,” he said.
*Human Capital/Workers’ Welfare*
Besides implementing an e-governance technology, and digitalisation in Enugu State with significant positive impacts on both the people and the economy, Mbah said he had in the past 12 months paid considerable attention to the twin-issues of pensions and gratuities.
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“Our senior citizens deserve their due reward when they retire, having devoted a great percentage of their lives in service to the state. Doing so, however, requires some verification exercise to digitalize the process and make the payments seamless, going forward. We have, in fact, cleared the verified backlog,” he concluded.
Senator Victor Umeh, his wife and other dignitaries
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Former National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial on the platform Labour Party( LP), Senator Victor Umeh, has expressed gratitude to the 2023 LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his prompt political rescue when his enemies planed to terminate his political career on May 28, 2022.
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Umeh, speaking during his thanksgiving ceremony at St. Patrick Catholic Church Aguluzigbo in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State said that despite his political estrangement with Obi for 10 years he (Obi) carried him along when all hope was lost.
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Umeh narrated his ordeal when APGA denied him his senatorial ticket in 2023 but God almighty used Obi to demonstrate his goodness in his political career.
Peter Obi and Sen. Victor Umeh during the thanksgiving service.
The senator recalled how he was paid back in bad coin by the present governor of Anambra State after he had “campaigned vigorously for him, acted as collation officer for him in INEC and eventually delivered him as Governor”.
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He said that he bears no grudges but has handed everything over to God.
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Umeh warned all bad eggs to stay away from Labour Party, adding, “Labour party is the party we will use in our political journey.”
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He said “The party which Obi is now the National Leader is our own. I know practically everything about party politics having been APGA National Chairman for 10 years. If this thing going on in Labour Party continues, I will draw my dagger and that party will be quiet. Nothing will happen that will destroy the party”
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“God works in mysterious ways. My victory was made possible through the immense goodwill of my brother Peter Obi. I started my political journey with him in 2001, fought all the battles with him, he triumphed, we triumphed too until the enemies of progress came in and separated us but after 10 years, God said, against the wishes of people and men, that two of us will come together again.
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“When I was returned as the party flag-bearer, I made a speech and it is on record that I said that above all things that God has done for me, none is greater than the reconciliation I’ve achieved with my brother Peter Obi. This is because my disagreement with him was uncalled for at the first instance. It was the handiwork of some people who put spanner in our wheel of progress.
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“The governor of Anambra state presently, I was totally involved in his campaign, acted as his collation agent in INEC, delivered him as Governor before the ugly development happened. If what happened pleased God, I wouldn’t be here today but it did not please God. Ingratitude is a cardinal sin and it is important I said this so that you can know my stand.
“I’m not against anybody but in the house of God, what is not proper should be described as what it is. So I’m appealing to all of you to be focused because we need leadership that is combined with good work and empathy towards fellow human being in Anambra. I’ve made my point and I want to say my Lord that having unburdened my heart, I bear no grudges anymore. Whatever anyone did badly to me, I’ve forgiven. Whatever God says will be, will be and no human can stop that.”
Senator Umeh with dignitaries that graced the occasion
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The Thanksgiving mass was officiated by Cardinal Peter Okpaleke of Ekwulobia Diocese and con-celebrated by Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha Archdiocese and Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor of Awka Diocese.