Amidst opposition to his second term in office in 2027, Governor Peter Mbah has presented his scorecard for the people to be the judge between promises and realities, reinforcing his claim that he rightly deserves to be re-elected. LAWRENCE NJOKU reports.

On September 9, this year, the main bowl of the remodeled International Conference Centre, Enugu was filled to its brim, as residents struggled to be part of historic scorecard. The occasion was the launch and public presentation of the compendium titled, “A Thousand and One Reasons Why Governor Peter Mbah Should Continue as Governor of Enugu State” beyond 2027.

Compiled by the Governor’s media team, it chronicled over 10,000 measurable milestones across infrastructure, human capital development, revenue, industry and governance among others achieved by Mbah in the last three years of his administration. It is on the basis of these achievements that Mbah is asking for re-election in Enugu State.

Sector by sector, the compendium highlighted verifiable impacts the administration had made in order to reposition the state as preferred destination for investment, business, tourism and living, and as part of efforts to achieve its $30 billion economy.

Mbah, who took oath of office in May 2023, had while presenting his manifesto, titled, “Building a Peaceful and Secure, Highly Developed and Prosperous State for All” to the people of the state, stated that it was not written as a “campaign document designed to excite voters”, but one deliberately designed to reposition the state for greatness.

He had told those that cared to listen that, “We could not continue to nomalise underdevelopment while other subnational governments across the world were reinventing themselves through innovation, infrastructure, productivity and human capital expansion”.

He had spoken about his desire to grow the economy of Enugu State from approximately $4.4 billion to $30 billion within eight years, through infrastructure development, attraction of investments, jobs creation, and restoring certain moribund assets as well as human capital development that would see the people contribute positively to the growth trajectory of the state.

Taking a bold review of how far he had gone to achieve the campaign manifesto in the first four years, the compendium highlighted that the Mbah administration had not relented  in building the infrastructure and institutional machinery required to actualise the target.

One of such moves, the compendium pointed out was the improvement in the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state. It noted that as at 2025, the state’s IGR has moved from N26.8 billion in 2022 to N406.77billion in 2025; a development that represents a fundamental shift in the state’s fiscal capacity.

Governor Mba’s Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communications, Dr Collins Ogbu, had said of the rise in the revenue: “The argument is not that Enugu has suddenly become rich because more taxes were imposed on its citizens. In fact, the 2025 revenue figures show that only N51.5 billion, or 12.6 per cent, came from tax revenue, while N355.2 billion came from non-tax sources”.

Ogbu insisted that the development was a deliberate attempt to move the state beyond the model of waiting for federal allocations and squeezing tax payers, toward an economy in which public assets, investment, technology and economic activity contribute more meaningfully to government revenue.” He had noted that leveraging the improvement in revenue, federal allocation and other sources, the administration decided to  recreate Enugu State, by making imprints in every facet of the state, including  building new health centres, new class room blocks fitted with modern learning facilities, rehabilitation of roads and building new ones, boosting security, improving transport sector, improving water supply, tourism, agriculture, among others.

Taking the government’s developmental strides, sector by sector, the compendium stated that the administration in two
years constructed over 800 kilometers of roads.

“By 2025, the road programme had expanded to urban roads, inter-city roads, ruralroads and strategic gayeway corridos. The administration moved beyonf the initial programmes of 90 days to additional projects including the dualisation of the Abakap –Nike-Ugwuogo –Nike-Ekwegbe –Opi –Nsukka corridor, the Enugu airport –Ebonyi boarder corridor and the Owo –Ubahu –Umuabor –Amankanu –Ikem road

“In May, Mbah inspected the 40 kilometer Owo–Ubahu –Amankanu –umualo –Ikem dual carriage way and other major projects including the 14.5 kilometer Amechi–Idodo-Oruku-Amagunze road, the New Enugu Smart City and the Enugu International Hospital”, it stated.

It went further to state that the Mbah administration has turned human capital development into an ambitious education infrastructure programme in the state’s history by building the Smart Green Schools, stressing that it is being established in each of the state’s 260 electoral wards.

“The schools are designed around digital learning, science, laboratories, modern classrooms, solar power, technology and experiential learning rather than the old model of memorisation and inadequate infrastructure”, it explained.

It added that the state had been deliberate about allocation to the education sector with 33 per cent in both 2024 and 2025 fiscal years and 32.27 percent allocation in the 2026 fiscal year as part of efforts to rebuild a functional education.

Justifying the huge investments in education further, the compendium stated that it was essential that “if Enugu wants to become a $30 billion economy, it cannot educate its children for an economy that no longer exists. It must prepare them for technology, science, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, agriculture, creative industries and a globally competitive labour market”.

It explained that when Mbah took over in 2023, the primary health system was in distress, explaining that of the 566 primary healthcare centres assessed, 47 per cent were in disrepair, while the state faced major shortage of primary healthcare workers.

The Compendium, noted that in response to the development, the administration launched the construction and upgrading of 260 Type -2 primary healthcare centre for each electoral ward, adding that the government approved recruitment of thousands of health workers as well as renovation  and upgrading of secondary health facilities.

“By June 2026, the state reported that visits to its primary health centre has risen from about 800,000 to 1.4 million, an 80 percent increase, while Penta -3 immunisation coverage rose from 78.5 per cent to 88.9 per cent, exceeding the national target of 85 per cent”, it claimed.

On security, it insisted that the administration had invested heavily in security infrastructure. The first major approach was to confront and dismantle the illegal Monday sit at home, which was crippling businesses, restricted movements with schools and ordinary people suffering and living in fear.

The document named the establishment of a Command and Control Centre, deployed AI –enabled surveillance patrol vehicles, expanded fiber-enabled cameras, drones and a mobile distress –response system, and established the 112 emergency lines as part of the efforts.

It added that these measures had led to the reduction of crimes in the state, stressing that the state “reported more than 80 per cent decline in violent crime in 2025 with the state security architecture attracting several commendation in 2026”, even as it argued that security remains  an economic infrastructure.

The compendium further highlighted that the administration has expanded transport infrastructure towards achieving a transport hub, adding that to make transport infrastructure align with the desire of a regional economic hub, it developed five modern transport terminals at the Holy Ghost Terminals 1 and 2; Gariki, Abakpa and Nsukka. There was also the acquisition of 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses that have sustained, improved and reduced transport costs in the state.

It added that on July last year, the state owned airline “Enugu Air” was inaugurated with three Embraer aircraft, now connecting Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country,  stressing that the Airline has received Air Operator Certificate in March this year and the subsequent admission into the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in August this year. The compendium added that strong efforts have been made to expand it’s flight operations beyond Nigeria to parts of Africa and other areas of the world leveraging the concession of the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu.

“The point is not that an airline by itself makes a statement prosperous. The point is that Mbah is trying to build an integrated transport ecosystem in which roads, terminals, aviation and commerce reinforce one another”, the Compendium noted.

It further stressed that for years, Enugu had carried the burden of institutional decay for it’s valuable public assets. It particularly referred to the Hotel Presidential, Enugu International Conference Centre, United Palm Produce as well as the Nigergas Company among others.

“Under Mbah, the International Conference Centre was completed and commissioned; Hotel Presidential was revived; and Nigergas, which had remained moribund for decades, was brought back into productive use… the philosophy is straightforward: government should not merely own assets; government should make assets productive”, it emphasised.

On water supply, the Compendium said the administration has improved potable water supply from a sporadic 2 million liters per day to 120 million liters, through rehabilitation of the Oji and Ajali water schemes, replacement of old asbestos pipes with durable ductile iron pipes and restoration of the reservoirs at Milliken hill, Emene and high pressure tanks.

Adding that it fulfilled the promise of restoring pipe borne water to Enugu metropolis in 180 days through commissioning of the 9th Mile water scheme in November 2023, it disclosed that the Ministry of Water Resources had been building Modular and sustainable water supply systems that do not impose a heavy financial burden on local communities.

But are these efforts and many others enough for the Governor Mbah administration to continue in office in 2027? Has the governor lives his manifesto to the  people of the state, even in the midst of other competing needs?

The scale of opposition at the moment, especially from those who want to take over from him might lend credence to certain narratives that the administration has not lived to expectations. Those who go by this school of thought believe that the state should have fared better with the quantum of resources and opportunities available to it, hence growing desire to have the governor replaced.

But the Chairman of Oji River Local Government Area, Greg Anyaegbudike insists that Mbah has surpassed his campaign promises, stressing that the state had been rejuvenated by the scale of activities in every facet of governance. Anyaegbudike noted that Mbah has achieved in three years what no past administration had been able to do in eight years.

He stated that the Compendium succeeded in scratching the surface of the many achievements that Mbah has made to reposition Enugu State among leading states in Nigeria.

“You can see there is life in every segment of the state. Jobs are being created and skills are being built. We now have an Enugu that must feature in the debate and analysis of economic viable states. It was not the story before now. Mbah has rewritten the story by building strong institutions that are sustainable”, he stated.

The Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, who unveiled the compendium said it aligns with the Citizens Charter, also known as Executive Order 001, which Governor Mbah executed immediately he was sworn into office on 29th May 2023 to emphasise his administration’s commitment to accountability, traceability and transparency.

“Our assignment today is not just to unveil the Citizens Charter via the compendium. It is a lot more than that. It is a conversation on the sacrosanct duty and responsibility you gave to us to midwife and preside over your resources.

“But above all, it is important to note that the document we are about to unveil does not entirely capture everything this government has done because, given the time it took to prepare this document, there was a cut-off point running months behind.

“But what you must take home with you is that our intentions are noble. What we try to do is to put Enugu on a reversible path of greatness. What we try to do is to ensure that Enugu will not compete with Nigeria or within Nigeria,” he added.

Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state had pursued an extensive urban development agenda, including the New Enugu Smart City, environmental sustainability and urban renewal.

He added that the State’s fiscal architecture had undergone significant reform through revenue automation, reforms at the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, improved financial management, the Treasury Single Account, enterprise resource planning and broader institutional restructuring.

According to him, the administration had also sustained investments in youth empowerment, women development, technology, skills acquisition, social protection, tourism, environmental sustainability and community development.

“Behind every project is a community; behind every policy is a citizen; and behind every statistic is a human being whose life government seeks to improve,” he stated.

The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Ben Nwoye, commended the administration for its development record and the scale of projects executed across the State, explaining that these projects would campaign for the governor in 2027.

Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Asadu, equally spoke glowingly about the administration’s performance, saying a performing government should be supported to continue till 2031.

“We have never had it so good. It is not about party. But let us give the job to those who understand the job. The governor wants to move the Enugu State economy to a $30bn economy and that is exactly what he is doing,” he stated.

As residents of the state ponder over the 222 page compendium  of scorecard which the government noted was verifiable, what is left unanswered is what those angling to replace the governor in 2027 would use to campaign against his continuation in office.