Inaugural speech: Mbah pledges to replicate the wonders of Singapore, Dubai on Enugu soil as he takes oath of office
…prioritizes water in Enugu in 180 days, as Nsukka, Udi, Awgu, others to enjoy same benefits
…says it’s goodbye to dirty environment as he vows waste to wealth management
The new Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has promised to replicate the development and infrastructural stature in Singapore and United Arab Emirates’ Dubai on the soil of Enugu, saying the process leading to the new development would be a turning point of industrial revolution in the history of the state within the period of 8 years of his administration.
The governor, who gave this assurance while making his inaugural address shortly after taking the oath of office as the Executive Governor of Enugu State at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Monday,, which was well-attended by eminent personalities from different walks of life, including members of the business community, investors, expatriates, and citizens across the 17 local government areas, added that his administration was in a hurry to start rolling out robust programmes and policies that would transform the state into a modern, huge construction site that would engender industrialisation.
Mbah, who talked tough that it would no longer be business as usual under his administration, said tough decisions that would be in the best interest and welfare of the people, stir development, chart a new course of history and actualize the dreams of a modern state would be taken.
While commending the people for choosing him at the polls to serve them at a time a new set of leadership that would do something differently was needed in the face of dwindling national revenue, the governor noted that the state under him would work in its full capacity to recreate the iconic wonderment of economic prosperity and phenomenal growth witnessed in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, stressing that “our will is strong and unshakable” to achieve the same feats.
According to him, his government would explore every creative opportunity to make the youths one of the biggest beneficiaries of the tomorrow which he had envisaged for them by engaging and equipping them in e-learning, e-commerce, fintech, and cyber-security skills that would make them globally relevant as service providers.
“The youths of Enugu State will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the tomorrow that is now here today. We want to expose our youths to the skills required to grasp the emerging future and create opportunities for the genius in them to flourish. We want to invoke and instill in them the can-do spirit that is innate in the Igbo man. Enugu will rubbish Japa, not only by legislation but by creatively addressing the challenges to the future of our youths,” he added.
He further espoused the different economic models his administration had carefully selected that would lead to the actualization of the modern revolution, maintaining that the rural economy would be unlocked through the implementation of Special Economic and Special Agro-allied Processing Zones, with 100 billion naira revolving fund for SMEs in partnership with the private sector.
The governor also assured of providing a Tier 4 Hyper Scale Data Centre to attract businesses like Amazon, Google, Netflix, TikTok and Microsoft, promising that the creative and the sporting sectors would be second to none in the country even as they’d become sources of revenue and job creation.
On the health and security sectors, he stated that his administration would demonstrate disruptive innovation that would make the state a hub of medical tourism through new, modern hospitals and equipment of existing ones, while deploying technology to guard against insecurity and ensure perpetrators of crimes are brought to book within a reasonable time.
…prioritizes water in Enugu in 180 days as Nsukka, Udi, Awgu, others to enjoy same benefits
Reiterating on his earlier promise, Mbah said his mission to give the metropolis water within 180 days commenced today and would ensure water scarcity, lack of clean water, issues related to water borne disease become a history soon.
He said part of his agenda would be to extend the availability of water to those in rural areas including places like Nsukka, Udi, Awgu local government areas even as he assured of all round development across the state especially in infrastructure such as road construction, new flyovers, and more urban areas designed to encourage growth urbanisation of rural communities.
…says it’s goodbye to a dirty environment as he vows waste to wealth management
Noting that health is wealth, the governor said sanitation and hygiene would be given an urgent attention that would clear the streets of refuse and dump within 100 days of his administration. He also stated that the existing landfills sites at Ugwu Onyeama would be relocated far from the city and further harnessed to wealth creation as part of his efforts at urban renewal.
In order to also demonstrate to investors and citizens that his administration would be running on the tripod of justice, equity and transparency, the governor said he would be proceeding directly to the office of the governor, Lion Building, Enugu, to carry out his first official assignment by signing the Executive Order 001 called the Citizens’ Charter. Mbah said the order would embody citizens’ assess to information on how their money would be spent, why his team should be held accountable on finances and projects and why investors should trust his government and partner with it for the growth of the economy.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included the immediate past Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, immediate past Deputy Governor, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, former Governors Jim Nwobodo, Dr. Okwesilize Nwodo, Barr. Sullivan Chime; former Deputy Governors Okechukwu Itanyi, Rev. Ralph Ralph; former and present senators, former and present members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly, local government chairmen, former members of the Executive Council, immediate past Special Advisers.
Others were members of the state traditional rulers council, top clerics, Heads and Chief of Service, the representatives of the business community, academics, amongst other eminent dignitaries.
