Frontline sociopolitical pressure group, the Save Enugu Group (SEG), has hinted that Governor Peter Mbah-led administration in Enugu State may be meeting conditions for its full support.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Hon. Pascal Okolo (JP).

This will be the first time the Save Enugu Group, which is known for putting leaders on their toes in the state, would be expressing open intention to fully support a sitting government in the state.

The statement noted that “less than 100 days in office, Governor Peter Mbah’s administration is hurriedly endearing itself to the people of the state such that the earlier hostilities in certain quarters in the state has dwindled”.

According to the group’s spokesman, “if Governor Mbah continues the way he going, he will earn our full support.”

He explained that the state Governor has taken bold steps towards catapulting the state out of its traditional civil servant state to an industrialised state.

“A careful appraisal of the activities of the Governor shows that he began with concentrating in the future of the state beyond his tenure by focusing on attracting investors to our dear state.

“That is a departure from the concentration of past administrations; past governments were focused on how to allocate available resource from the Federal Government to payment of salaries and pensions, and probably build some infrastructure, among others.

“But what will ensure massive job creation and prosperity in our state is industrialisation and this is what Governor Mbah is pursuing vigorously since he took over.

“He has been moving like a well prepared visionary leader with a clearly defined agenda to revolutionise the economy of Enugu State and greatly improved the wellbeing of the people.

“For instance, the Governor pledged the impossible before assumption of office — to restore pipe borne water supply to the capital within 180 days — but within just 30 days in office, some residents in the state saw genuine efforts and results in towards its achievement, especially people in GRA, New Haven, New layout, Uwani and part of Abakpa.

“Having trekked deep down into the difficult terrains of places like the valleys in Udi Hill and some bush paths of the state to personally inspect water installations in the state

“We also found that immediately on assumption of office, he started laying foundation for improved services in areas of security and refuse disposals, as well as infrastructure provision through realistic assessments and the tides are changing.

“The people of the state is also picking up from the destructions and distortions in their means of livelihood as a result of the Governor’s courage to abolish the illegal sit-at-home being enforced by some criminal minds as against clear instructions of the detained IPOB leader to end it since 2021 because the exercise has been hijacked by criminal elements in the South East.

“As we have observed, the rare commitment of the Governor towards making Enugu State a top destination for investment, business, tourism, and a place for fruitful living is novel in the history of the state.

“We are not serving as the Governor’s mouthpiece, we are just stating the observations we have made because we see Governor Mbah pursuing plans to initiate and implement key policies to ensure the ease of doing business in the state and to de-risk investment flow.

“We’re seeing plans to upscale the common export facility centre, efforts towards creating innovation incubation centres for young entrepreneurs, and move to develop a programme for apprenticeship system for vocational education.

“We are monitoring the plans around his N100 billion venture capital seed funds to catalyse small businesses and start-ups in our state, including efforts towards local and international partnerships and collaborations to boost investment in Enugu State.

“We have also seen him on the move, either visiting or hosting Service Chiefs, World Bank Executives, and the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria.

“He has also visited the Lagos Chamber of Commerce to market the state as best destination for investment, and recently our Governor held a private meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“A meeting between the Governor and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and their recent joint tour of the Ogurugu jetty and waterways is about making a naval base in the area possible. This will surely boost security, water transportation, and economy around the entire South East and North Central states, not just our state.

“We are aware that he met with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and they toured the ongoing international terminal and the proposed cargo terminal of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu in efforts towards making the projects come to fruition.

“We’re also monitoring the government’s plan to hold investment and economic growth stakeholder roundtable in September 2023 ahead of the launch of the first edition of the Enugu State Diaspora and Investment Forum (ES-DIF) scheduled for April 2024.

“So, we’re considering full support for the Governor’s administration if he continues in the direction of his leadership and management of the state because he will be needing all of us to make Enugu State work for all.

“If the Tomorrow is Now agenda is working beyond sloganeering, we will work with him because he is meeting conditions for full support”, the group said.

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