By Ejeh Josh
Born March 17, 1972, Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has continued to receive encomiums from Nigerians, especially among his people, as he marks 53rd birthday anniversary.
Different sections of the society are pouring in their tributes, describing the young governor as a man of many qualities, shattering the barriers of leadership and doing the seemingly impossible through his mantra of disruptive innovation which he introduced into governance.
“He has done it before. He did it in the private sector, where he disrupted the supply chain of the mid and downstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry. It was an unimaginable feat, and when he embarked on the journey, many of us who were already established players in that sector thought such uncanny idea would end up into a cesspit of nightmare and tale of failure.
“He, however, pulled the plug. From 14 days to 24 hours. He displaced the inefficiencies, consigned the waste and singlehandedly saved the nation of costs – environment, human health, that ephialtes called demurrage, and made the process more efficient for Nigerians. That almost eliminated the tortuous riddle of fuel scarcity.
“So, when he promised disruptive innovations in the public space during his campaign, I knew he had a lot to offer, but not to the extent of what we are seeing today. There is almost a 360-degree turnaround in what used to be the notion behind public leadership – and the governor has laid that foundation, the state has rapidly taken off on its development trajectory, and you start wondering if this was the Enugu we used to know few years ago,” Engr. Rafiu Briggs, a major dealer in the oil and gas industry had reeled out the testimony about Mbah.
Mr Briggs’ immersive impression of the governor was only one out of many. Only recently, a former senator from Enugu North senatorial district, Chuka Utazi, had narrated how he lost his way in the state as a result of the sudden shift in the development process which realigned the state’s landscape. The state of infrastructure was swamped with decay arising from years of leadership droughts and mismanagement. There was a great hue and cry among the residents of the state calling for intervention on the decaying state of infrastructure and total relapse of the economy.
In less than two years, the magic was done. This rather was a magical moment, used figuratively to describe the science behind the disruption witnessed in the governance model that shattered that leadership ceiling in the state. Across the 260 electoral wards of the state, landmark projects worth billions of naira are on top gear. The state transitioned from its static stature of a stunted adult to one setting a giant pace in the country. Enugu became the beautiful bride where analysts and Nigerians point to as a rallying point for good governance.
That is a quick reminder of Ruchir Sharma’s “The Rise and Fall of Nations” which highlighted key indicators he called rules of thumbs to understanding a nation’s economic trajectory and the intentionality of triggering a shift from the cobwebs of established traditions to something novel and innovative. While the journey to disrupting the “incremental development process” became increasingly unpopular among the political leeches rationalised by their conservative prejudices was ongoing, Mbah’s will to recalibrate the state from a state belonging to a cartel of parasites to people-oriented society gives Enugu the shape it has taken in recent months.
From restoration of security confidence to re-tooling the economy, infrastructure, human capital development, youths’ upskilling and education, Enugu shot itself into the moon, becoming a new beacon of hope; a city on the hill. Today, Enugu has maintained that reference point for good governance as people travel from other states to behold its magnificent sites and sweeping vistas made possible by the emerging governance model. Only a leader who is not just competent and disciplined but uncannily financially prudent can muster the courage to pick a state wobbling from years of abuse and neglect and remodel it within months to the envy of its contemporaries.
In describing the governor’s selfless service, the President-General of Enugu State Development Association, Igwe Abel Nwobodo, an elder statesman, referred to the inspiring transformation the state is experiencing under the current dispensation. Moving Enugu from a public service status to private-driven economy appeared insane an idea to conceive looking at the incompatibility it posed. But Mbah had not only shown its possibility, Enugu state is priding itself as an investment hub with opportunities for local and international investors.
While those from the private and public sectors have something warm and positive to say about the governor from the prisms of his commitment and dedication to service, public servants – teachers, civil servants, retirees, local governments’ workers are not left out. They have found their voices through the governance structure set up by the Mbah administration to help them fulfill their dreams and live meaningful life. That’s the society where inclusion, equity, equality and justice reign.
Promotions of workers as at when due, salaries and emoluments, pensions and gratuities, including other incentives are now taken for granted under Mbah’s leadership. While not stopping there, the governor marshalled what is now known as, “Rural Dwellers’ Allowance” for teachers as a way of encouraging quality education among people in rural communities.
With the Smart Green Schools, the primary healthcare system and other social services going on across all the electoral wards in the state – the first in the history of Nigeria – the coast to birthing a new smart state positioned as one of the future largest economies in Africa is a matter of time.
Happy 53rd Birthday to the Sheriff of Good Governance.
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