Council of Enugu state ‘s 583 Presidents-General have endorsed Governor Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu for a second tenure, citing ongoing infrastructural development, education reforms and grassroots transformation under the current administration, just as Governor Mbah assured completion of ongoing projects in the state
They made the endorsement on Thursday when they paid the Governor a solidarity visit in Government House, where Governor Mbah addressed stakeholders on his administration’s development agenda and future plans for the state.
Gov Mbah assuring completion of ongoing projects
Speaking at the event, Mbah described the endorsement as a fresh responsibility and a mandate from the people to continue and complete ongoing projects across the state.
“Thank you, thank you, and that is why I’m particularly touched by this endorsement this afternoon. What it has done, unknown to you, is that you have imposed further obligations on us. You have just said to us this afternoon, ‘Go and finish this job,’” the governor said.
According to him, his administration had only laid the “foundations and fundamentals” for the transformation of Enugu State, stressing that the work ahead remained enormous.
“We have simply built the fundamentals and the foundations. Even with just that, you can see that the profile of Enugu is rising daily. Enugu has become a model of good governance, and that is essentially what you have come here this afternoon to endorse,” he stated.
Mbah said the support from the grassroots showed that the people understood the importance of investing in the future of children through education and technology-driven learning.
“This is beyond politics. You cannot politicise the future of our children. You cannot sit back and watch what we have started in building the future of Enugu State elude us,” he said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to completing the ongoing smart school projects in all 260 wards of the state, assuring that by September, all children in public schools would have access to quality smart education.
“You are saying to us that the smart schools going on in all our wards must be completed and operationalised, and I can guarantee you that come September this year, all our children, without exception, will have access to this quality learning,” he said.
Explaining the concept behind the schools, Mbah noted that the facilities were designed to go beyond ordinary classroom learning.
“You have seen beautiful structures, but that is not the story. Those classrooms are creativity hubs. They are classrooms that will build the Mark Zuckerberg from Enugu State. Those classrooms are classrooms where the future Elon Musk will come from,” he declared.
The governor disclosed that the schools would feature 24-hour electricity, artificial intelligence hubs, robotics laboratories, computer-generated imagery centres and 3D printers.
“It is not a smart school if it doesn’t feature an artificial intelligence hub, a robotics hub, a computer-generated imagery hub or a 3D printer. It is also not a smart school if it does not have smart teachers with the right skills to teach our children 21st-century knowledge,” he said.
According to him, the education reforms were aimed at equipping children with global skills while also creating opportunities within Enugu State to discourage migration of young people to other states and foreign countries.
Soms of the Presidets-General at the visit
“What we are building in Enugu is an Enugu where our young people, after studying, will not be rushing to Lagos, Abuja or outside the country in search of opportunities. We want them to stay here and service the world from Enugu,” he stated.
He further claimed that his administration’s education programme was unprecedented in Nigeria, noting that the construction of 7,000 classrooms within three years had never happened in the country.
“Building 7,000 classrooms within three years has never happened in the history of this country. I don’t know anywhere in the world where it has happened at the scale we have done,” he said.
On infrastructure, Mbah said his administration was determined to ensure that all roads across the state were paved, insisting that governance under his administration was inclusive.
“Our government is not a sectional government. We are government for all the people of Enugu State. If we are investing in education, healthcare and roads, we are thinking about every part of Enugu,” he added.
Responding to requests made by the President-Generals, the governor announced an increase in their allowances beginning from next month, lamenting that many community leaders had remained on N30,000 monthly allowances for years.
“It is no longer acceptable that in the last 10 years all you have taken home is N30,000. From next month, you are going to see a new figure that will hit your account,” he assured.
He also approved operational support for the executive office of the council and promised to release an 18-seater bus earlier requested by the leaders.
Describing the President-Generals as the “ears of government” in their various communities, Mbah said they remained vital channels for grassroots feedback and mobilisation.
“Our President-Generals are the people who help us feel the pulse of our communities. I receive unfiltered and undiluted feedback from you,” he noted.
The governor also announced that from September, pupils in public schools across the state would receive one free nutritious meal daily under the smart school programme.
“Smart school is free and mandatory. You are not expected to pay for registration, uniforms, textbooks or provisions,” he said.
Earlier, the state chairman of the Enugu state Council of Presidents -General, Ozo Arinze Ogbodo commended Governor Mbah for transforming Enugu state.
His words,” Mbah’s administration has distinguished itself through the ongoing construction and reconstruction of strategic roads, the Smart Green Schools initiative, the establishment and upgrade of Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, the Command and Control Security Centre with modern surveillance infrastructure, the revitalization of agriculture through farm estate and agro-processing initiatives, the urban renewal projects, youth empowerment and digital innovation programmes, as well as the massive investment in water supply and sanitation”.
On behalf of others, he appealed to the governor to increase the monthly stipend of 30,000 Naira which he said, has remained unchanged for over ten years. He also appealed for an approval for a monthly allocation for office operations, centralization of the payment of the stipends at the State level to eliminate the current situation where some Local Government Areas owe Presidents General several months of arrears, a donation of operational.bus , among others
Chairman Enugu state Council of Presidents- General, Ozo Arinze Ogbodo
The Presidents – General uniamously endorsed governor Mbah and President Bola Tinubu for a second tenure. Enugu East zonal coordinator, Ejike Ilo Tasie, moved the motion for endorsement, seconded by Enugu North coordinator, Dr Patrick Ugwu.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the governor on political matters, Peter Okonkwo( Ohamadike) thanked the Presidents -General for the endorsement and asked them to take the message of governor Mbah’s good works to the grassroots.
On his part, the commissioner for Chieftaincy, Dr Charles Egumgbe,thanked the Presidents- General for the endorsement . Enumerating some of the developmental strides of Governor Mbah, Egumgbe described Governor Mbah as ” high class” He said governor Mbah is “not a common politician” adding that , This governor has dept knowledge”,
Urging the Presidents -General, to promote the activities of the state government, the Commissioner said, “you are political leaders. It is action not only endorsement. Go to the grassroots and tell them about governor Mbah’s good works in the state”.
The Presidents -General pledged continued support for Governor Mbah’s administration , assuring his re-election in 2027. elections.
