He is hungry for more power and wants to become the richest governor in the Federation – Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has no time for angry, hungry Nigerians
By Comrade Ochi J. Divine
Few weeks ago, you can depicts the above statement through his face expression and feelings to his people during the said Town Hall meeting.
Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, is hungry like most of us who complain about hardship in the land. He is hungry for more power. He is hungry for acceptance among the citizens of Enugu state. His is hungry for recognition as a performing Governor gives him sleepless nights.
Let us not speculate that he is hungry to recover his election expenses. What are the billions that went into the election compared to the gains? No, his hunger lies elsewhere. And time is of essence.
Peter Mbah is hungry to impress you enough for him to continue presiding over a state that is on a free fall. He is hungry to quickly get over some things.
As a renowned strategist, Peter mbah is ready to deal with important things like possible obstacles to 2027 election. He cannot waste his time bothering about hungry people who imagine that the Governor is not hungry.
Like you and I, he too complains that things are hard as he scrambles to get his men and women into places that matter for the future. The race is against time. The Governor is about sharing the spoils of the war you call 2023 election. The Governor hundreds of thousands of appointments to make to deal with his hunger and that of his followers, including recent converts.
Complaints are in abundance that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi took everything away but we see enough farmed out to Peter Mbah and company to know that extreme hunger is avoidable for ordinary Enugu citizens if it was important to Peter.
Hunger would be a great weapon in 2027 that would benefit Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. His war chest would have enlarged. Poor Enugu, and everage citizen of Enugu person would vote for the next piece of bread, that is the ones who make it to 2027 and had not deleted their interests in voting.
Peter Ndubuisi Mbah manages our hunger with words while important issues get immediate attention. He pulled out billions from internal generated revenue(IGR) to meet Easter/Ramadan obligations. He clearly makes religion priority over food. Will the dead need religion?
His woolly appreciation of the hunger in the land results in the gaps in addressing it. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has never associated food shortages, or high prices as his aides admit, with insecurity. He cannot fight insecurity so he does not want to be reminded about it.
Farmers are being killed and their farms destroyed. Residents of most farming communities have deserted them. The Governor is silent on their plight. Perhaps, it will cost him votes to fight the criminals who make Enugu state unsafe, not only for farming.
Even if criminals were not devastating farming communities, the cost of fuel has added to the uncertainty of food delivery.
The Governor has no solution to that. His empty promises are for his survival. In July 2023, he made vacuous promises with March 2024 as deadline for implementing them. Some of the promises:
To strengthen the manufacturing sector, increase its capacity to expand and create good paying jobs.
“Our objective is to fund over 75 enterprises with great potential to kick-start sustainable economic growth, accelerate structural transformation, and improve productivity.
“Each of the over 75 manufacturing enterprises will be able to access credit at nine percent per annum with a maximum of 60 months repayment for long-term loans and 12 months for working capital.
“We are going to energise this very important sector (MSMEs) with billions of Naria.
“In like manner, we will end water scarcity across the width and breathe of Enugu State. (Urban and rural development) within 180 days in office.
These mouthings were to be the fulcrum of the Enugu economy. We are days away from April. What happened to the Mbah’s economic wizardry that many hailed as a magic wand? Some had reminded the Governor then that unless electricity and insecurity were addressed that his wonder plan would not succeed. Others had wondered where he would get the money. Mbah has spent 11 months telling the people he cares – with words.
Money no longer seems to be the only challenge. Mbah lacks the capacity to drive issues to resolutions unless they benefit him and company. Issues like hunger, electricity, and insecurity just overwhelm him.
As the hunger bits and anger appears in street protests, the economy has become famed for serial circulars from employment. The expertise in managing the economy manifests in most decisive measures like hosting unproductive Town Hall meeting that never benefits ndi Enugu rather than reminding them about their hardship, insecurity and high rate of unemployment in the state.
What is left is for Mbah’s media to blame political opponents for the hunger. An earlier lecture that there was no food scarcity failed.
Mba has no plan for the economy. His government has been in panic mode for months. Price control for unavailable commodities? Price control did not work for the military with decrees and guns.
A good starting point would be for Mbah to admit his challenges, and accept that he has surrounded himself with people who cure their own hunger by making Mbah a god.
Comrade Ochi J. Divine, Divineundilutedink wrote this piece.
