2027: Why Peter Mbah Deserves a Second Term – Sambo

By Alphonsus Okoroigwe, Enugu

Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf Sambo is the Senior Special Assistant (Special Duties) to Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State. In this exclusive interview, he highlights the governor’s achievements, calling for his re-election in 2027.  

Mbah and other contestants

 I’d say Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has no match, considering the calibre of other candidates contesting for the governorship of Enugu State in the forthcoming election. This is because he has performed creditably, going by the rapid rate of development across the state. Holistically speaking, Enugu State has taken a new look since the inception of his administration in 2023. The governor’s approach to tackling security and investment in education is unrivaled. If you go round the 260 wards in the state, you’ll see the imprints of this huge investment in education, as the smart schools are springing up, and a large number of students are now in school with free books, free materials, free tuition, and free lunch. Remarkably, all these free things are given to all Enugu State residents, irrespective of their religion, tribe, and place of origin. This indicates that the Mbah administration has an open access to education for all. If you look at his investment in the health sector, you’ll give him the same credit, with the establishment of type 2 primary healthcare centres in all the 260 wards in the state. And very soon the administration will be launching the 300-bed International Medical Centre, one of its kinds in Nigeria. So, I look at those challenging Governor Peter Mbah as jokers because he has won the heart of the people of Enugu State with what he has achieved in less than four years. And that’s why I say Mbah has 99.9 percent chance of coming back as governor.

Why Mbah is succeeding

Mbah is a man who likes excellence, quality, and professionalism, going by the caliber of those serving in his cabinet. These are qualified people of integrity and character appointed irrespective of their tribe, religion or place of origin. That’s why I call him a real Nigerian because he assesses people on the premise of what they can do, not where they come from. He’s a symbol of unity and development. He is the kind of person Nigeria needs, the kind of person Nigerians should emulate, and the kind of leader the people of Enugu State should re-elect for another term of four years to continue this trend of transformation, and sustain good governance in the state. Again, Governor Peter Mbah has moved Enugu State from a mere allocation-receiving state to a high revenue-generating state, paying civil servants and pensioners without stress. So with all these achievements, I believe that Governor Peter Mbah’s road to the next election is smooth and seamless because he has shown a very high sense of commitment to developing Enugu State.

On overtaxing

I don’t see that as overtaxing. Rather, I see the governor as developing the dormant fiscal avenues. Now, those that weren’t used to paying tax before are being dragged into the tax net. That’s why they’re complaining. People normally don’t like a situation where they support government by adding to any good thing it is doing. And the governor is changing that narrative of doing business as usual by doing the right thing at the right time. You pay your tax and you see development. So, I think that’s what he’s doing. He has captured a lot of areas that had not been paying tax, which is why people are talking of overtaxing. But I don’t see him as doing that. Rather, I see him as judiciously using the taxes being generated in the interest of the people. So, it’s a right step in the right direction.

Efforts for national unity

Yes, that’s why I call him a true Nigerian for assembling people from different parts of the country to serve in his cabinet. For instance, I hail from the North and I’m on his team. Also, there are people from the South West and other parts of the South East that are on his team, playing key governmental roles. So, this is the kind of leader that we need in Nigeria; a detribalised man who’s concerned about fostering unity among Nigerians. This is his philosophy, which distinguishes him from others. And to say the least, he’s the kind of leader we should rely on for national development. More so, we from the North have benefitted immensely in terms of peace, more than ever before under this Mbah administration. If you go around Enugu State today, you’ll see northerners moving from neighbouring states because of improved security and the good relationship between the government and the northern community. He visits and dines with us during Sallah celebrations, and reaches out to us in difficult times to support our welfare. Again, Governor Peter Mbah is a man who respects every religion, believing that religion should be expressed freely. This last Hajj pilgrimage exercise, we had 41 pilgrims to the Holy Land, and the governor sponsored Muslims with their welfare well paid that while there in Saudi Arabia, we used the medium to pray for peace and progress in Enugu State. Just recently, the governor approved my visitation to all the 17 local government areas of the state to interact with the northern communities in these areas, so as to understand their challenges, structure them in such a way that intelligence gathering would be easily accessible, and know where the government is not living up to its expectations to enable it improve on its obligations to the state. So far, I’ve visited about 12 local government areas, recording tremendous outcomes with the northerners expressing joy and pledging their support to the Mbah administration. This is the first time we’re witnessing this. So, the relationship between the governor and the northern community is very cordial.

On internal security

Governor Peter Mbah has done so much to improve security across Enugu State, though the issue of security anywhere in the country is a very challenging one. He has put in so much attention and energy to reduce crime and criminality in the state to their barest minimum. To buttress this, he has rolled out a control and command center where you can sit and view the entire Enugu State, including the thick forests, to monitor and stem any form of criminality. Again, he donated vehicles with AI-enabling cameras to security agencies, with an enhanced welfare package to boost their morale and step up efforts at combating crime in the state. His commitment to securing the entire state is so unrivalled that the state’s forest guards count among the best today. He has so equipped them in such a way that they’re seen in every forest in the state mounting vigilance. He has also shown much concern on herders-farmers conflicts by setting up a team that is on the ground monitoring and receiving reports as well as going to the field to combat attendant challenges. That is why the issue is at its minimal level in Enugu State. So, he has invested so much in terms of security, and his efforts are yielding the right results. Remember too that not long after assuming duty, he stopped the sit-at-home order, asking people to go about their business. This has opened up not only the economy of Enugu State but also that of the South East, considering the place of Enugu State as the gateway to the region and its boundaries with the northern states of Benue and Kogi. So, he has done so much on security, using the Enugu State Security Trust Fund to complement the efforts of security agencies.