Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has said he would do everything possible to resuscitate all the moribund industries across the state, stressing that having functional industries in the state will engage the youths and the teeming workforce.
Mbah gave this assurance recently in Ugwuogo-Nike and Emene, headquarters of Mbuluiyikwu and Mbulujodo Development Centres respectively in Enugu East Local Government Area of the state during the ongoing town-hall meetings organised to have a direct interface with the people on their pressing needs.
Mbah who further disclosed that his administration would be driven by justice, equity, fairness and inclusion, promised that more jobs will be created for the youths and women through the establishment of new infrastructure, industries, including special agro-allied processing zones that will move the state from manual to mechanized agriculture and create value chain that will provide revenues for them.
While responding to the demands made by various speakers from the communities, the governorship hopeful noted that all their demands were comprehensively captured in his manifesto, saying nothing will be left unattended if elected in the forthcoming elections.
Expressing confidence that he came prepared the job, Mbah stated that new health centres, mostly primary and secondary health systems will be established with extension health workers, including qualified medical doctors, that will provide 24 hours service, will be made available.
He further harped on his administration’s commitment to sink more boreholes to provide water, establish new schools where there are none, and the establishment of skills acquisition and vocational training centres that will engage those with formal and non-formal education, adding that his government will earmark 100 billion naira capital for them as start-up capital.
Reiterating his resolve to construct 10,000 kilometers of road, Mbah maintained that development and investment would not be possible without good roads. He called on the people that the only way to fulfill the laudable promises and drive the development economic plan is to vote massively for the PDP.
According to him: “In our manifesto, we proposed to build 10,000 kilometers of roads. This means we are going to build roads to connect all the 17 local government areas. Each local government will be identified with a particular industry so that we can move produce from one location to another with ease.
“The 10,000 kilometers of roads also include access roads to our farmlands and communities. All the things you have mentioned here have been captured, so we thank you for coming to remind us of what we have already planned to do.
“Coming to the one that concern us, we shall construct bridges. For those that complained of water, we have promised the people of Enugu State that we shall provide water in all our communities, so that no community can walk more than 5 minutes to the closest source of portable water. We shall not have scarcity of water both in the rainy and dry seasons. Where we need to build boreholes, store and reticulate water to our communities, we shall do so.
“We don’t need our children to migrate to the city in order to acquire secondary education, so we shall build more schools in our communities and maintain existing ones.”
Speaking earlier, the member representing Enugu East Rural Constituency at the House of Assembly, Hon. Hilary Ugwu, said they attended the town hall meeting because the people saw their much anticipated new dawn in development agenda of the PDP gubernatorial flagbearer.
“You are the man to do the job for the state. PDP has given us the rescuer. After studying your manifesto, I was convinced that 30% of its execution will transform Enugu State. We have never disappointed PDP in voting; we will continue to vote massively for you,” he said.
Underscoring the importance of the town-hall meeting, the member representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Cornelius Nnaji, insisted that his people had only one assignment in the coming elections, and that’s to support and deliver massive votes for Mbah’s election in 2023.
Speaking, former Senator representing Enugu Senatorial Zone, Senator Gilbert Nnaji said the construction of the Ugwogo Nike-Agbogazi Nike-Ubahu-Owo road would enhance rural access and catalyse socio-economic development of the area.
On their part, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Uwakwe regretted lack of a secondary school or hospital for the people of the area and urged Dr. Mbah to help reduce the hardships of the people, while Rev. Fr. Chimezie Ani, who harped on the agricultural potentials of Nike communities, urged the PDP gubernatorial candidate to elevate the state to an agricultural processing and marketing hub when elected.
A woman leader, Mrs. Helen Ugwuoko lamented a situation where women in labour travelled all the way to Enugu city to get medical attention in such emergency situations, hence resulting in many fatalities.
She called for Mbah’s intervention in this area as well as in the areas of women and youth empowerment through skill acquisition and job creation when elected.
“There is no employment anywhere. Some of our graduates have spent over 15 years with us at home and the hardship is too much for us to bear”, she stated.
The traditional ruler of Ogbeke Nike, Igwe Dennis Ekette, while pledging the people’s support for the PDP gubernatorial and other candidates, however, called on Dr. Mbah to help bring the perennial water scarcity facing the rural communities of Nike to an end.
While a community leader, Hon. Gab Onu called for the dualisation of Enugu-Opi-Nsukka road, a former lawmaker, Hon. Joseph Agbo, called for decisive action to end the menace of land grabbers in Nike.
“We are supposed to be rich given our vast lands, but land speculators have made us poor. We want you to end this as well as the injustice done to our people in the Enugu State public service”, he stressed.
On his part, the council chairman of Enugu East LGA, Hon. Livinus Anike, described Emene Nike as the industrial hub of Enugu State and called for infrastructural renewal of the area.
He equally called on Dr. Peter Mbah to prioritise the revitalisation of state-owned companies such as Sunrise Flour Mills, Emene.
