• Reassures of gov’s equitable, transparent transformation of state

By Sunday Ani

The Secretary to Enugu State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia has urged the people of Igbo-Eze North LGA and the people of Enugu State at large to continue to support the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, in his efforts to transform the state.

He assured that the governor’s pledge of equitable and transparent development of the Coal-City state remains not only unbroken but also very realizable.

One of Governor Mbah’s campaign promises is to move Enugu from a $4bn economy to $30bn through quality ICT-based education; infrastructure upgrade to create a business-friendly environment to attract both foreign and local direct investments; quality healthcare delivery and security of life and property.

Speaking on Thursday at the Igbo-Eze North PDP Maiden Conference 2025, held at the Local Government Pavilion, Ogrute, Enugu-Ezike, Onyia, the keynote speaker who spoke extempore and largely in Igbo, while reeling out the Mbah administration’s achievements in the areas of physical and social infrastructure construction/reconstruction, education and healthcare delivery, told the people that with their support and encouragement, the Mbah Administration would not only accomplish its already stated objectives but would even do more.

“There is no other state government in Nigeria that I know that has pledged to, and is doing a N1bn project in each of its electoral wards, as Enugu is doing in its 260 wards with its Smart Schools and Type 2 Primary Health Centres.

That goes to show how committed to grassroots development of the state, Governor Peter Mbah is,” Onyia said.

According to the SSG, part of the support Mbah seeks of Ndi Igbo-Eze North and Ndi Enugu as a whole is for them to “own” the projects in their communities by contributing to their safety and continuity, through tax payment and ensuring that neither the contractors nor misguided elements in their communities do anything that could have adverse effects on the projects.

Explaining the implication of the state government emplacing a N1bn project in each of the state’s 260 electoral wards, Onyia noted that the state’s current N46bn IGR pales into insignificance when compared with the N260bn cost of the 260 Smart Schools already constructed or still under construction, adding that the shortfall of N215bn has to be sourced through a progressive and transparent tax system that has become the hallmark of Enugu State government’s IGR administration.

The Enugu SSG stressed that the option in the face of the shortfall is not to abandon the projects but to think outside the box in order to find money to fund the projects to completion, exactly what the government in Enugu is doing with the disruptive innovation mantra of the Mbah administration.

Addressing the Conference ‘Empowering Grassroots Party Executives For Strategic and Sustainable Leadership’, Onyia commended Igbo-Eze PDP chairman, Engr. Solomon Ogili and his team for the conference, noting that the theme couldn’t have come at a better time, given the state government’s emphasis on training and retraining at all levels of the governance value chain for effective management of the state’s resources, both human and material.

He also commended the Igbo-Eze Local Government Chairman, Engr. Uchenna Ogalla for his leadership of the party and the local government, urging the people of Igbo-Eze North to support Ogalla and, by extension Governor Peter Mbah for the realization of the noble governance objectives of both the local and state governments.

In his welcome address, Dr Ogili described his PDP administration in Igbo-Eze North as a movement “dedicated to a real change at the grassroots.”

“First and foremost, grassroots engagement has been at the heart of our strategy. We believe that true democracy begins with the people and we are working tirelessly, ensuring unbroken engagements within our constituencies,” Dr. Ogili explained.”

Our regular party meetings have helped us in a sustained connection with constituents, empowering them to engage with local governance more actively.”

In his own address, Chairman of Igbo-Eze, Engr. Ogalla expressed his happiness at the conference, commending the theme of the conference, “Empowering Grassroots Party Executives for Strategic and Sustainable Leadership” as both timely and critical and noting that “the strength of our party lies not only in its national structure but also in its roots in every ward, every polling unit, every committed party executive and every faithful, working silently and tirelessly at the grassroots.

“We cannot talk about winning elections, implementing policies or leading with purpose without first acknowledging and strengthening those who are the engine of our political movement,” Ogalla stressed.

He added: “It is at the grassroots that trust is built. It is at the grassroots that the people feel our presence or our absence. And it is at the grassroots that the journey to victory begins.”