By Uche Anichukwu
When Dr. Peter Mbah unveiled his manifesto at the Peter Mbah Law Auditorium of the Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, on October 13, 2022, many were quick to point out what they felt were typographical errors in the document.
Among the assumed typos were his promise to construct 10,000km of roads in four to eight years, restore public water to Enugu city in 180 days, move the state from 58 per cent poverty index to zero per cent poverty headcount, and grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30bn GDP also in four to eight years. Frankly, even among his campaign team were his genuine supporters, who often wondered if their candidate was not overpromising, given the economic crunch plummeted oil proceeds that had also whittled down receipts from Federation Account.
Two years after he was sworn in as governor, pessimism and anguish have been overcome by joy and hope. The conversation has shifted from “He is promising too much,” to “He is doing too much at a time.”
When he rejigged the 2023 Appropriation Law (Budget) upon assumption of office, providing for the construction and reconstruction of 71 urban roads in the state capital and 10 interstate roads, people thought it was what is called “Initial gra-gra” (initial show of muscle/seriousness) in local parlance, which Nigerians have become used to. But to their surprise, by his first anniversary, he had completed and commissioned all the 71 urban roads.
Before they could digest it, Governor Mbah had presented the 2024 budget estimates where he not only showed a radical devotion to capital projects but also redefined budgeting in Nigeria. Before his administration, Enugu State’s total budget hovered around N100bn and N120bn with capital expenditure of about N30bn, representing a capital expenditure to budget ratio of about 25 to 35 per cent. But in his first full year budget (2024 Appropriation Law), which was a record N521.5bn, he devoted N414.3bn to Capital Expenditure (representing 79 per cent of the budget) and N107.2 billion (representing 21 per cent of the budget) to Recurrent Expenditure. This gained several editorial comments by leading national dailies.
Yet again, he took it a notch higher in another record-breaking N971bn 2025 Appropriation Law. The budget has N837.9bn (86 per cent of the budget) earmarked for Capital Expenditure, while Recurrent Expenditure got N133.1bn (just 14 per cent of the entire budget). This radical departure is unprecedented here in Nigeria. The result is that today, Enugu has become a huge construction site with over 800km of roads already in the bag. Apart from the already completed aforementioned 71 urban roads and other additions that brought them to 90, the initial 10 rural and inter local government/state roads are progressing greatly. He equally flagged off the construction of additional 141 urban and 20 gateway roads in October 2024.
These roads are equally strategic. For instance, with the 40km Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Ikem Road, people travelling from Ebonyi, Cross Rivers, and some parts of Enugu do not need to travel all the way to 9th Mile Corner to get to ObolloAfor, as it would serve as a gateway to the Northern region. The 43.7km Penoks-Abakpa Nike-Ugwogo-Nike-Opi Nsukka Road with streetlights will reduce travel time, address whatever is left of insecurity on that road, and help grow the economy. The ongoing dualisation of the 22km Enugu-Abakaliki federal road will solve the agony of gridlock and travel time to Abakaliki and reduce travel time between both capital cities.
In the education sector, the administration is constructing 260 Smart Green Schools, 30 of which were already completed by December 2024 and commissioned by President Bola Tinubu during his official visit to the state in January. Because Mbah believes that “a nation cannot develop beyond the quality of its educational system and human capital,” the Smart Green Schools represent a quotum leap that places emphasis on Experiential Learning, a hands-on learning approach where individuals gain knowledge and skills through direct experience and reflection. The administration is also constructing a Science, Technical and Vocational Schools, STVCS, in each of the eight Federal Constituencies. The one situated at Government Technical College, Enugu is virtually ready.
According to the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Ifeyinwa Anih-Osheku, the administration inherited a total of 557 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) out of which 457 (85 per cent) needed a total reconstruction or major renovation. Consequently, the administration is constructing a Type 2 PHC in each of the 260 wards. Every PHC is furnished with modern equipment, powered by renewable energy, and has quarters for health workers to 24-hour service.
Understanding that security is at the heart of any progress, the Mbah Administration constructed what has been adjudged the biggest and most sophisticated Command and Control Centre in the part of Africa. The hi-tech security infrastructure is greatly responsible for the well attested improvement of security in the state. It is linked by fibre optic cables to AI-enabled, thermal cameras that are capable of facial and plate number recognition.These cameras were installed across the metropolis and in the state for full surveillance. There are also over 150 vehicles equipped with the same quality of cameras. They are manned by the Distress Response Squad (DRS), a specialised police unit.
In the tourism sector, he has already completed the 5,000-seater International Conference Centre, ICC, which was abandoned in its skeletal form and stripped since the initiator, former governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, left office in 2007. Mbah wants to bring 3 million visitors to the state each year and also reposition Enugu as the conferencing capital of Africa. So, he understood the need to quickly complete it. It was commissioned by President Tinubu in January.
Again, he understands the connection between making Enugu an aviation hub (he has already procured three aircraft for a start) and making Enugu a conference capital. Consequently, he is building a 350-room 5-star hotel at the ICC that will be ready in a few months. The long-abandoned Hotel Presidential, which became a grazing field for cows and rendezvous for criminals, is about 90 per cent completed.
He has also constructed five modern transport terminals at Holy Ghost, Nsukka, Gariki, and Abakpa Nike, ready for commissioning. Furthermore, he has equally procured 200 CNG buses and 2,000 city taxis that will be launched very shortly.
At the same time, work is ongoing, fast, at the nearly 10,000-hectre New Enugu City, which construction he flagged off in October 2024. A smart city, it will host some of the tallest skyscrapers in Africa.
An elderly woman was travelling to the township in a lorry (Gwongwolo) in those good old days. Older people would recall that passengers usually sat in rows of thick planks facing the rear. She saw a Volkswagen Beetle speeding up to the lorry and wondered how the little “motor” thought it could overtake the big lorry. But the Beetle did. She then screamed in wonderment that if this little ‘motor’ could overtake the big lorry at this age, then it would probably be flying when it grows up.
With nearly 2,000 ongoing and completed projects across the 260 political wards of Enugu State, Ndi Enugu see and discuss Mbah as a project freak, who is obsessed with building infrastructure. So, if Ndi Enugu danced in frenzy at Okpara Square on May 29th when they trouped out to felicitate the governor during his second anniversary, it is because they know that if Mbah could do this much in just two years, then the sky would be the state’s starting point in the next six years. It would rival Dubai, and its economy would rank among the top economies in Africa. That is the power of vision!
Happy second anniversary, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, our own Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Anichukwu is Governor Peter Mbah’s media aide