Tag: Peter Mbah

Traders at the popular GSM Village Market, Enugu have called on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and stop the alleged plot by some individuals using the name of the state government to forcefully relocate them into a private mall in the state capital.

The traders also rejected the motion reportedly passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly, which urged the state government to relocate them to the Trade Fair Shopping Complex, Gulf Estate GRA, Enugu.

The traders insisted that the new location is a private venture, which has nothing to do with the government.

Some of the traders, who spoke to newsmen in Enugu weekend expressed shock that the state house of assembly acceded to the deceit by some real estate individuals to pass a motion to relocate them to a private complex.

Read Also: Nigeria, Benin sign landmark integration pact

They said the owners of the complex packaged it as though the government was the one proposing the relocation in order to attract heavy patronage to their real estate business from the members of the public.

One of the traders at the GSM Village, Enugu, Martin Uchenna Agbo, said, “We recently got information that the House of assembly has passed a motion urging the state government to relocate us to a private property somewhere at Gulf Estate, GRA, Enugu.

“The assembly motion came to us as a surprise because they made it look as if the state governor is giving us a new allocation for us to relocate.

“We’re aware that if the state government wants to embark on such ventures, they will first earmark a place, and inform the concerned traders about it, and then throw the allocation open for all at a very affordable price. The government will equally give you a design of what to build so that there won’t be indiscriminate building. That’s the procedure we are aware of.

“But what we noticed is that some individuals want to establish a phone complex inside that place. But it is a private enterprise. It is not a state government project. The government has not allocated anywhere to us.

The Peter Mbah administration in Enugu State has said it will launch the state’s airline, Enugu Air, CNG mass transit programme, and the ultramodern transport terminals this month.

These are among the projects initiated by the Mbah administration and will be launched for the people’s use before the second anniversary of the administration on May 29.

The government said it had approved the development of a tourism industry as well as the total transformation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and Awgu Games Village in readiness for the National Sports Festival the state will host in 2026.

Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozor; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Gerald Otiji; and Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Lloyd Ekweremadu, announced these projects after the State Executive Council (Exco) meeting at the Government House in Enugu at the weekend.

READ ALSO: Corruption and failed refineries

Addressing Government House correspondents, Ozor said: “We are starting off with the initial three aircraft and two of the aircraft are already on the ground. The third one will be on the ground by the end of this month. We are hoping to start the commercial operations before the second year anniversary of this administration.

“You have also seen buses for the mass transit programme across the state. Fifty of them are already parked at Okpara Square and an additional 50 will be joining that fleet in the next few weeks. The 100 of them will be going into commercial operations before the end of this month, which is the second year anniversary.

“Also, the bus terminals, two at Holy Ghost, one each at Gariki, Abakpa, and Nsukka, will also be commissioned and go into commercial operations before May 29.”

The commissioner said the Mbah administration was planning to bring into the state electric and CNG automotive manufacturing plant as well as launch in the next 150 days the Enugu Smart Transport Programme, with the injection of over 2,000 electric vehicles.

Dame Madueke said funds would be invested in the tourism industry in phases.

“For the first phase, we are having Awhum Waterfall and Nsude Pyramid, where we are going to have the first canopy walkway in the Southeast. It measures about 600 metres, which will actually be the longest in Nigeria.

“We also have Ngwo Pine Forest where we are having the first zipline in Nigeria. The zipline will measure about 300 metres. In the same Ngwo, we will have a big rotunda and a smaller rotunda.

“We have the Cross of Hope to be located at Okpatu. The Cross of Hope will be sitting 580 metres above sea level and the cross itself will measure about 50 metres, making it a total of about 630 metres above sea level. The cross will have about 15 floors with a lift.

“At Awhum Waterfalls, we are going to have another canopy walkway and a boardwalk to preserve the ecosystem.

“We equally have the Akwuke/Atakkwu Waterpark and Ovu Lake Golf and Resort at Akpawfu,” she said.

• Begins dialogue to track impacts of governor’s leadership

Stakeholders of Enugu North Senatorial District, otherwise known as Nsukka Zone, have commended Governor Peter Mbah for leading an all-inclusive governance, and charged him not to deviate from the path which is being appreciated by Nigerians.

 They also lauded the governor’s remarkable progress in various sectors, especially as it concerns projects cited in each of the 102 wards within the senatorial zone.

 The stakeholders made their views known during a maiden Dialogue Series 1, which was organised under the auspices of the Enugu State Coalition for Progress, Enugu North Senatorial Zone Branch, at Adada House in Nsukka weekend.

 The event, which was meant to track the impact of Mbah’s administration on Nsukka Zone in his first two years in office, came with the theme: ‘Dr. Peter Mbah administration – the journey so far (education, politics and security).’

 It also afforded the stakeholders the opportunity to bring to the governor’s attention their own peculiar challenges.

 One of the stakeholders and former Economic Adviser to the President, Prof. Osita Ogbu hailed that Mbah for turning the state from a civil servants state to an entrepreneurial zone by building structures and industries that would bring about the transformation.

 Ogbu also said that Mbah has put plans in motion to strengthen the state’s economic base so that it will not rely heavily on federal allocation.

 He likened Mbah to world leaders like the former Chinese, Malaysian and Israeli leaders who dutifully transformed their country without looking at hindrances and obstacles with his philosophy of Tomorrow is Here.

Read Also: Mbah vows to immortalise Chukwu on visit to legend’s family

 Ogbu said that Mbah, in his developmental transformation of the state, does not discriminate against those that voted for him and those that did not because he saw Enugu State as his constituency.

 “We are among the three states in the country that can say bye- bye to Federal Allocation,” Ogbu said.

 The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Innovation and Director, Experiential Learning, Enugu Smart Green School, Dr. Chinyere Onyeisi, hailed the governor for disrupting the major developmental challenges facing the state.

 She said, “Before now, Enugu had high rate of out of school children with an alarming statistics. We also had the challenge of poor dearth of teachers and poor capacity building of the existing ones as well as lack of curriculum update. The most essential of all the challenges was the inadequate infrastructure.”

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has received accolades for recording significant achievements in infrastructure development across the state since his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Bonaventure Onuh, gave the commendation in an interview with journalists in Enugu weekend.

Onuh, who is a former executive chairman of Igboeze North LGA of the state, noted that Mbah’s administration had focused on completing abandoned and ongoing projects while embarking on new initiatives, delivering visible progress and improving the lives of Enugu State residents.

Read Also: Insecurity: Sokoto steps up mechanisms against banditry, other crimes for peace, stability

The PDP chieftain highlighted some critical road projects across the state as well as the completion of the international conference centre, which he said was already yielding revenue for the state.

“These roads are not just ordinary projects. Some of them, like Emeka Ebila Road in Enugu and the dualisation of Enugu Nsukka Road, among others, had defied previous administrations. They represent a deliberate effort by Governor Mbah to engage the best hands to ensure that the people of Enugu get the highest quality infrastructure. The speed and precision with which these projects have been completed or are progressing underscore his dedication to the development of our state,” Onuh stated.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State is set to lead the State Governors Roundtable on unlocking investment opportunities in Enugu and across Nigeria at the 2025 Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit (CTIS), which opens in London on Monday.

This was disclosed in a press release issued over the weekend by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), organisers of the summit.

The CWEIC, which operates under an official mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government, is tasked with facilitating trade and investment across the 56 Commonwealth nations. The council works with over 140 Strategic Partners from both the public and private sectors, helping to foster critical partnerships that boost economic growth and development.

The 2025 edition of CTIS is scheduled to take place from Monday, April 7, to Tuesday, April 8, at the historic Mansion House in London. The summit will gather key players from the Commonwealth business community alongside Heads of Government, senior ministers, and officials from various member states.

Governor Mbah’s participation is expected to spotlight investment prospects in Enugu State and promote deeper economic ties between Nigeria and other Commonwealth nations.

“Following the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa last October, this business-to-government summit will provide a platform to advance discussion, re-focus on critical issues, and ensure that Commonwealth business priorities are advanced.

“The Summit will feature plenary sessions and high-level roundtable discussions, supported by informal networking opportunities and one-to-one meetings, attracting some of the Commonwealth’s most high-profile participants. With over 400 delegates confirmed from more than 40 countries, CTIS 2025 is already heavily oversubscribed, highlighting the Commonwealth’s growing importance as a global network for trade and investment.

Read Also: Mbah, Oyebanji, Ododo for NigeriaSMEAwards

“In his capacity as Governor of Enugu State, HE Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah will be attending CTIS, and will lead a State Governors Roundtable on unlocking opportunities in Lagos and Enugu States. The roundtable will also feature representatives from Acre Capital, Africa Exim Bank, British International Investment, Crown Agents Bank, KPMG, M&G Investments, and Standard Chartered and will provide an invaluable opportunity to tell Enugu’s story to the international business community.

“Confirmed speakers at CTIS include Hon. Lee Kinyanjui (Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry, Kenya), Hon. Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigeria), HE Dr Hussain Ali Mwinyi (President of Zanzibar), HE Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Governor of Lagos State), The Rt Hon Alderman Alistair King (Lord Mayor of the City of London), Hon. Shirley Ayokor Botchwey (Secretary-General of the Commonwealth), as well as ministers from Gibraltar and Jersey.

CTIS 2025 will also feature representatives from major Commonwealth businesses, such as Lloyd’s, Open Capital, Arup, Crown Agents Bank, and Equity Bank Kenya, and representatives from major public investment organisations, such as British International Investment, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. CTIS 2025 will be sponsored by Zenith Bank, as Anchor Partner, and the Government of Cameroon, as Supporter.

“Discussions will focus on a wide variety of relevant issues, bringing together business leaders and senior policymakers. Sessions include high-level dialogues on reducing barriers to Commonwealth trade, unlocking investment in growth markets, artificial intelligence, and the global energy transition,” CWEIC stated.

Recall that the Mbah Administration in Enugu State and CWEIC had last December signed a strategic partnership agreement that would accelerate trade and investment inflow to the state.

Speaking during the partnership signing ceremony at the Government House, Enugu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CWEIC, Mrs. Rosie Glazebrook, expressed the organisation’s eagerness to support the investment drive of the Governor Mbah administration.

“Our organisation is there to drive trade and investment. We do this with very excellent convening power. We will bring this to bear in our partnership with Enugu State.

“Our organisation is there to support and collaborate to really showcase anything that Enugu is ready to offer in investment and trade. Our organisation’s aim is to look out for how we can bring down barriers to trade and to encourage investment,’ Glazebrook had also told state house correspondents on the occasion.