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Mbah and Water Scarcity: Breaking the Barriers of Failure in 180 Days
By Prince Ejeh Josh
For the residents of the city of Enugu and those that have been following the disturbing trend over the past 20 years, what Enugu has in coal it lacks in water. Coal is in abundance and that informs the reflective sobriquet of Enugu as the “Coal City State,” while water had not only become a scarce luxury and expensive commodity but also a perennial endemic the people of the state had come to live with. They had accepted their fate in the face of helplessness, frustration and entrenched despondency. Thirsty tongues could only wag in despair, raspy voice from a droughting throat and the endless search for water continued. The people of Coal City often put up melancholic faces whenever the issues of water were raised, and their hearts palpitated once they remembered that dry season was around the corner. An offer of water to a visitant was like a priceless gift treasured by the benevolent host.
The beautiful city of Enugu over the past two decades became an epitome of desert in an obscure oasis. The hope of having water restored to the people had long been dashed with such recondite, lengthy and puzzling narratives that all Enugu had were coal and shale. It became a mystery and a spiritual affair that required spiritual warfare to defeat the demons bewitching the state with deliberate drought. Such was a version of the narrative often told in our religiously gullible society. People bought into it and there they engaged in a battle that could only be won not by flesh and blood. Hence, when Dr. Peter Mbah, the now Enugu State governor, began his campaign, sermoning that he would make water available in abundance in the first 180 days of his administration, many cast doubts and vigorously defended their position. That promise alone elicited debate in the charged political atmosphere. Opposition hurled scorn, skeptics tossed and howled. 180 days? Impossibilia! Was Mbah living in the moon or feigned not to know the dimension water had assumed before he made such a promise? Questions were raised. Opposition members and detractors saw the promise as a landmine laid by the governor for himself. They started counting days for him.
Indeed, water is an essential commodity to human existence. It has been described as life itself (Mmiri bu ndu). This could have informed the reports of the United Nations Peace, Dignity and Equality on a Healthy Planet and the United Nations World Water Development Report that water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself. The reports also recognized water as not only a rights issue for the ever-growing human population but also essential for sanitation and for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, education and economic productivity of the population. This is why water occupies a strategic position in the goal-target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as number six on the rung of the ladder. The SDG 6 clearly sets to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
Despite the essentiality of the role water plays in human ecosystem, the WaterAid presented scary graphics of water challenges in Enugu and its environs. Half of the state’s population, approximating 2.27 million people, lacks access to potable water services. They depended on polluted and often disease-infested water from upstream or their sources. They further submitted that lack of access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) contributed to poor sanitation, poverty and amplified the degree of health challenges and primarily increasing infant mortality. In a representation that showed the body had given up hopes of having water in Enugu again due to its strained geological formation and topography, it capped its report with the following sad finality; “The government and the International Non-Governmental Organisation have played their parts to see a lasting solution to this problem, but all to no avail.” This submission had the corroboration of the finding of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting of August 8, 2022 which gave a frightening horror and pointblank eyesore narrative of the Enugu imagery. The alarming description titled, “Amid widespread scarcity, Enugu residents pay tanker drivers for dirty water”, would leave no one in doubt about the crumbling dignity of humanity, but that was just the sad situation on ground in the state before the recent intervention.
“Adults and children squatting and defecating into trenches and pools of floodwater under the bridge at the New Artisan Market is a common sight, with some others washing their clothes and children swimming at the other end. Those who cannot descend into the trench when they need to defecate use polythene bags and fling the content into the trench. The water flows from a gully that passes through the market, characterized by improper waste disposal, lack of toilet facilities and hygiene practices. Residents say they depend on the dirty water for everything. Bathing, washing of cloths and sometimes, cooking and drinking,” the report submitted.
This, of course, was just one out of many. At Ilukwe, Nzekwe, Obosi and Lagos streets in Ogui Layout, the vicious cycle continued without hope of abating. I did a check at the only source of water at Ilukwe Street which had close to a thousand residents and had my heart palpitate at the gory scramble by the elderly and children alike over gully water running out slowly from a source decorated with the laurels of heaps of rubbish dumped indiscriminately over the years. Women and children who often lined up like the mai-bara of the Almajiranci every morning waiting, perhaps, with such unending patience for their turn to scoop the dirty, foul-smelling water, disclosed that the water was their “everything”. Interestingly, most of the children born within the vicinity in the last couple of years could only hear like a tale in the moonlight or read in their primary school textbooks, about Enugu water but had not seen, felt, touched, and used the purported water. This was in addition to the Imri-Ani at Chinatown, Independence Layout, Ugbo-Ogrugru stream at New Haven, with all the water declared unsafe for human consumption. As a result of this, in July 2021, the Premium Times reported an outbreak of cholera in the state with over 14 fatality recorded and 100 of residents infected with the disease. All efforts to consign this challenge into the state’s historical past could only end up draining into futility.
Then Mbah came. He campaigned on the unpopular trajectory of ending water challenges. It was, to many, the norm and platitude heard over and again as part of campaign promises for all politicians. Mbah, weird as that could be, did not only campaign to defeat the intractable problem of hydra-headed dimension, he assured of his resolve to bring water to the people in 180 days. Analysts were alarmed. Maybe he meant to say another thing. Maybe it was a slip of tongue which could occur to any human being. But he insisted. He was unambiguous. That was uncanny! Even insiders in his political party recused themselves from the 180 days promise. Mbah’s reaction to the skeptics reinforced conviction in some quarters that political actors were good in oration. But the man was not an orator. He says what he means and means what he says. Mbah had told doubting residents that he understood their disbelief because they were used to “bad leadership and bad government”.
Like the 65th United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, once said, “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”. Determined to demystify leadership and deliver on his solemn promise, shortly after the election, Mbah embarked on a voyage, in search of water. He mobilized the best hands, drawing professionals across the globe to do the seemingly impossible. Even with the gloomy meager resources at the reach of the state, the governor was unrepentant about his conviction to do things differently. For the first time in the history of the state, the political lexicon had a radical shift. It became a more sophisticated register such as disruptive innovation, technology deployment, ICT, robotics, artificial intelligence, optimal performance, meritocracy of idea, traceability, responsibility, etc. All this, the governor deployed in the water resource sector to frame a new narrative and prove the can-do spirit.
Workers worked round the clock. It was a tortuous journey with labourious nights of creativity and technology. In his 1927 poem, Journey of the Magi, T.S Eliot presented the worst of the journeys of the Magi in search of a new beginning. Probably, a worst time of the year full of challenges for the wise men. For the Magi, it was such a long journey. But for Mbah, the journey could be shortened with the right approach. This accounted for why it took past administrations decades of strenuous efforts only to end up on a treadmill. Robert Frost, in his “The Road Not Taken”, stated that men, in making decision, preferred to taken the popular, more comforting road which usually ends in ineffectuality. However, understanding that the road less taken by men because of the grumpy path and sore-footed potentials could lead to success, the governor took the challenge upon himself and rode through it. And his motivation? Result. He could be heard reinforcing the conviction that “we are the people known to turn deserts into fertile plains”.
As the countdown to the 180 days continued by the residents, on the media, in the markets, in churches, and became almost a household song, detractors were impatiently waiting for a 180-day of requiem lamentation. Mbah would prove them wrong sooner than the very day. From the occasional two million litres of water to 120 million litres of water in less than 180 days. That was a magic, or probably a miracle as many had argued. But he broke the jinx and set a new pace. Writing in 1992 in his work titled, “The End of History and the Last Man Standing”, the American political economist, Francis Fukuyama, argued that western civilization had weathered all storms to emerge from the relics of the Cold War as the only idea. From the rubble of challenges, Mbah defied the stormy water to emerge as the man with magic wand to erase the history of water failure in the state with a new beginning.
Today, with all the reservoirs working in full capacity across the metropolis that could house the 70 million litres from the 9th Mile Ultra-modern Water Scheme, 50 million from the Oji River water project and the ongoing work on facility extension, an end has been put to the drought in the state. The barriers of failure in the sector was shattered. Once again, the people of Enugu could taste fresh, potable, clean and disease-free water after over 20 years. The 9th Mile Water Facility with a 4.4 megawatt power station is a world-class project that is becoming a subject of research. This guarantees a 24-hour water supply to the people. Schools, hospitals, hotels, industries, businesses and residents can now heave some sigh of relief. Before I forget, I have been inundated with calls from members of the public asking the list of other promises the governor made with timelines so that they could be counting down on the pegged timelines. It is now goodbye to open defecation, bad and contaminated water. A new dawn has just begun.
…Property Enumeration App to drive new land revenue regime
The Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) has announced a drastic reduction in land use charges payable by property owners across the state as part of measures to encourage tax compliance and broaden the state’s revenue base.
The Chairman of ESIRS, Mr Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the activities and achievements of the agency in its three years under his leadership.
Under the revised arrangement, property owners in Independence Layout now pay N70,000 annually, while those in Abakpa pay N20,000. Owners of village houses, according to Nnamani, will pay N10,000 annually as land use charge.
Nnamani also announced plans to commence the implementation of a Property Enumeration App, which will facilitate the identification and enumeration of properties across the state and provide a database for the assessment and collection of land use charges.
He said students would be engaged to participate in the enumeration exercise, with each student expected to receive payment on a weekly basis, based on the number of houses enumerated.
According to him, the initiative would help ESIRS establish an accurate property register while creating opportunities for students to earn income through the exercise.
Nnamani explained that the Property Enumeration App would assign identification to properties and their owners, making it easier for the government to determine taxable properties and improve compliance.
He said the exercise was part of ESIRS’ broader strategy to expand the tax net and bring previously untapped sources of revenue into the formal revenue system.
The ESIRS chairman said the agency was also expanding its revenue collection activities to o other areas including haulage fees, land use charges, capital gains tax, stamp duties and withholding tax.
He disclosed that withholding tax would soon become operational in the state, urging individuals and organisations required to deduct the tax to ensure that the deductions were properly remitted to the government.
Giving an insight into the performance of ESIRS under his leadership, Nnamani said the agency had recorded a significant increase in internally generated revenue since 2023.
He said the state generated N37 billion in 2023, rising to N108.5 billion in 2024, while revenue increased substantially to N406.7 billion in 2025, representing tax and non-tax revenues.
Nnamani attributed the growth to the reforms introduced under Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, particularly the autonomy granted ESIRS and the deployment of technology for revenue collection.
He said the agency inherited a system characterised by poorly motivated personnel and fragmented revenue collection, but the autonomy granted by the state government enabled ESIRS to embark on fundamental reforms.
“Our Governor came with disruptive innovation and now it is time to give account,” Nnamani said.
He explained that the autonomy granted to ESIRS was backed by legislation, transforming the agency into a one-stop shop for revenue collection in the state.
According to him, ESIRS moved away from a mono-payment gateway operated through Interswitch and expanded the system to seven payment gateways, including UPS and Flutterwave.
He said taxpayers could now make payments through banks, transfers and more than 300 Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals, including from the comfort of their homes and even during weekends.
The development, he said, had significantly improved convenience and reduced opportunities for revenue leakages.
Nnamani said the agency also embarked on extensive training of its personnel and declared an emergency in which every staff member was required to have access to a laptop or tablet.
He added that ESIRS invested in reliable internet connectivity and solar energy to ensure that its operations were not disrupted by power challenges.
The ESIRS chairman said the agency had also banned cash payments as part of measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in revenue collection.
He said several revenue agencies that previously operated independently had been unbundled and brought under a centralised system, while ESIRS collaborated with relevant unions and revenue agencies to improve its operations.
According to him, the reforms were particularly significant in the informal sector, where revenues were previously paid to non-state actors before the new system was introduced.
Nnamani urged residents and businesses to familiarise themselves with the state’s tax laws, stressing that the agency was not interested in imposing arbitrary taxes but in ensuring compliance with existing legislation.
He said the law provides for certain exemptions, but taxpayers seeking exemption must undertake the required tax filing.
He noted that ESIRS was currently not implementing some provisions of the tax law to their full extent, citing the provision requiring the payment of one per cent of turnover in certain circumstances.
“We are only collecting N36,000 and people are complaining. I’m a tax collector and you have to convince me why you should not pay,” he said.
He urged taxpayers to study the tax laws and understand their obligations rather than evade payment.
The ESIRS boss further disclosed that the state was collecting Development Levy from new construction projects, noting that between 20 and 25 new buildings were being commenced daily across the state.
He said the levy was N150,000 in Enugu North Local Government Area, N100,000 each in Enugu South and Enugu East, N80,000 in Nsukka, while the rate for other local government areas stood at N50,000,”and you must pay to be permitted to commence development of the property”.
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He said ESIRS was also strengthening the collection of capital gains tax, particularly from property transactions, as well as stamp duty.
Nnamani maintained that the objective of the reforms was to create a sustainable and transparent revenue system capable of funding government programmes without placing undue pressure on taxpayers.
The chairman also dismissed concerns that the ongoing tax reforms were designed to frustrate businesses, particularly Igbo traders.
He said the forthcoming implementation of enhanced tax-compliance measures at both the federal and state levels should not be misconstrued as an attempt to shut down businesses.
According to him, the reforms are aimed at ensuring that individuals and businesses fulfil their statutory tax obligations.
“It is not aimed at shutting down Igbo business. People should pay their taxes and not evade it,” he said.
Nnamani said ESIRS would continue to expand the tax net while deploying technology to make payment easier, improve transparency and ensure that revenue due to the state was properly collected.
He said the agency’s ultimate objective was to build a modern revenue administration system in which taxpayers could meet their obligations conveniently while the state would accurately account for every naira collected.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has said its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, remains the most popular opposition candidate capable of leading a proposed coalition to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, stated this while reacting to efforts by the G100, a group seeking to facilitate the emergence of a single presidential candidate among opposition parties ahead of the election.
Director said the NDC had been approached by the group and was not opposed to its proposal, but insisted that the candidate chosen to lead the opposition coalition should be the “brightest, best and most popular” among the presidential contenders. According to him, the NDC believes Peter Obi meets those criteria.
“The G100 has approached the NDC and we are not opposed to their suggestions. However, we are of the opinion that the brightest, best and most popular candidate in the opposition should lead the coalition, and that is our presidential candidate, Peter Obi,” he said.
He added that the NDC expected the G100 to act in the broader interest of Nigerians as discussions continue over the possibility of presenting a single opposition candidate against the incumbent.
“We want to believe that the G100 is working in the interests of Nigerians. At the end of the day, it is the electorate that would determine who leads them,” Director said.
The development comes amid growing efforts by opposition groups and political parties to explore a possible alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The proposed arrangement is aimed at bringing opposition presidential candidates together to consider the possibility of presenting a single candidate against President Tinubu, who is seeking another term in office.
While discussions around opposition unity continue, the NDC’s position is that popularity and acceptability among voters should be key considerations in determining who ultimately leads any proposed coalition.
Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for urgent government action to halt the wave of killings, abductions and destruction of communities in parts of Nigeria.
Obi, in a statement posted on X on Sunday, said recent deadly attacks in Benue, Plateau and Niger states had highlighted the worsening security situation in the country.
He described the three states, which are located in Nigeria’s North-Central region, as the latest areas to suffer attacks that have claimed scores of lives and displaced residents.
Obi cited the attack in Jwak Maitumbi, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where he said at least 23 people were officially reported killed, while residents put the death toll at more than 30.
He added that over 45 houses were reportedly destroyed in the attack.
The former governor also referred to recent attacks in Borgu, Niger State, where reports indicated that more than 40 people were killed and over 100 others abducted, although he acknowledged that the figures remained contested.
Obi said the situation in Benue was equally troubling, with communities facing repeated attacks, killings, abductions and destruction of homes and livelihoods.
“What is happening in Benue, Plateau and Niger is similar to what is happening elsewhere in the country, with some attacks even going unreported,” he said.
According to him, the recurring attacks should no longer be viewed as separate incidents but as a broader national security crisis requiring a coordinated response.
“Nigeria is not officially at war, yet citizens are being attacked in their villages, abducted after prayers, driven from their homes and stripped of their farms,” Obi said.
He urged the federal, state and local governments to take immediate measures to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further attacks.
Obi called for improved intelligence gathering and rapid-response capabilities, as well as intensified efforts to rescue abducted Nigerians and apprehend those responsible for the violence.
“I urge governments at all levels to wake up to their responsibility and take urgent and decisive action to end this madness once and for all,” he said.
The former presidential candidate said the government should focus on preventing attacks rather than merely responding after lives had been lost.
“We cannot keep counting bodies after every attack. We must prevent these attacks before they happen,” he said.
Obi stressed that the protection of lives and property remained the fundamental responsibility of government.
“Protecting lives and property is the most basic duty of government. Nigerians deserve nothing less,” he said.
He concluded by warning against allowing the deteriorating security situation to become normalised, declaring: “Nigeria must not become a killing field.”
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