From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Enugu state people living in United Kingdom and Ireland have expressed their confidence in the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, Peter Mbah, urging their people at home not gamble with their votes but give it in bloc to Mbah.
They said that Mbah has the capacity, capability, and competence to take Enugu state to the next level by moving it from residential to commercial state.
Speaking in a Solid FM programme, Freedom Square, hosted by Dr. Cyril Anioke and sponsored by the Barr. Peter Mbah Support Group UK and Ireland, some members of the support group who were guest to the program through zoom, said Mbah would convert the state’s natural resources to industrial and commercial value.
Those who represented the Support Group are: Mrs. Godlyn Chikwe, Lawyer and an Advance General Nurse Practitioner and Prescriber, UK; Mr. Chidera Attama, Finance Expert and Managing Director, Flamingo Tech. Limited, UK and Mrs. Mary-Ann Chukwuenyem, financial expert, Global RFS Sales Lead, UK, while the
Director, Public Communications and PDP Campaign Spokesperson, Nana Ogbodo and Dr. Augustine Okolie, a member of the Public Communication committee were also guests at the studio.
Speaking on Mbah’s manifesto as it affects and why they in the Diaspora were supporting Mbah, Mrs. Chikwe, said, “A country’s wealth relies in its people, also health is wealth. Wealth of a country is measured by the development of its healthcare which is why establishing a robust healthcare system in Enugu state is at the first features of Barrister Mbah’s government’s manifesto.
“The evidence that Mbah will do what he has promised in his manifesto is very clear. I joined as the Legal Adviser to Barrister Peter Mbah’s Support Group in UK and Ireland because it is evident that Dr. Mbah is a man of integrity, with solid track record that speaks for itself and I employ anyone that disagrees with me to go back and checkout his profile which I have done.
“I will say in a nutshell, Dr Mbah has demonstrated repeatedly without fail that he is the right man capable of taking Enugu state to the next level. Look at his achievements, his credibility is unquestionable and I think that Enugu state should be grateful to have him as a governor of the state.”
She said Mbah’s government would stop inequality in accessing healthcare just as it would set a pace that “breaches the huge gap between the rich and the poor, enabling the underprivileged Enugu people to gain equal access to medical cure just like the rich, hence its resolve to create Enugu State Health Insurance Scheme.”
She called all to go out on Election Day to vote for Mbah who she said deserve every vote as the right man for the position.
On whether Mbah got all it takes to take Enugu from a residential to commercial state, another member of the support group, Mr. Attama, said Enugu state has maintained residential status because of lack of opportunities being presented by governments of the state.
“In October when Peter dropped his manifesto, I’ll tell you that the world wasn’t the way it tends to go right now, but because of Peters intelligence, integrity and foresight ego, he saw the future and is already channeling Enugu to the future. Peter in his manifesto clearly stressed out that mineral resources would be a key factor to moving from 4.4 billion dollars to 30 billion dollars within his term. Now the deployment of oil and gas industry to accelerate one very vital sector, renewable energy, more exploration of assets and the value resource sectors, these shows beyond all doubts that the man we are supporting, Peter Mbah is not just a businessman but also a leader who also sees what it takes to move Enugu forward.
“Beyond what it takes Mbah has the power to endure and steer us through the storm as it comes. He was giving us crystal clear facts on how to move with this. Enugu has coal which is a very big resource in the world right now we can supply energy. Enugu has black sand, iron stone, clay minerals, limestone, and a lot more. These are high values in the international society and our people take to ignore them and walk over them every day as they walk to their jobs ignoring these values. These values are what the next world order is building on. And here we have someone who is strictly telling us that he will create jobs by bringing us to know the values of these, and converting those natural resources from just natural resources to industrial and commercial value.
Mbah has not just presented us with a manifesto but a map that will see us beyond this storm to a place where Enugu will move from the hands of God to a visible industrial and wealthy state.”
For Mrs. Chukwuenyem, “In terms of capacity, capability, the competence of Peter Mbah, his profile defines that, his achievement in the private sector defines that, and growing his company to billion dollars in a short period of time defines that. To grow a business you have to have the fundamental bases of the place to make sure the businesses grow. So transparency and accountability are very key.
“Public reporting makes sure that those in office deliver and accounts for everything that is under their care. And that really cuts out corruption.”
Also contributing from the studio, Chief Nana Ogbodo who debunked the insinuation that the mantra or slogan “Tomorrow Is Here” is a mere semantics coined to hoodwink the gullible masses of Enugu State, said, “It’s just like what I did say before. It’s just like the tagline: ‘Tomorrow Is Here!’ It speaks about the urgency of the country’s economic situation, and the positive angle. It is like a rallying call to action.
“It speaks for the vision that we can actually define the future of our being by the actions we take today. It encapsulates our hopes and aspirations. It reminds us that our perception for a blissful future is not utopian after all, if we can take decisive action that will bring it from the realm of vision into an actual state of being. It is something that tells us that with the combination of technology and ideas, Enugu can move from where it is to the glorious heights.
“His (Mbah’s) vision is that he is going to create a people-focused government that will make Enugu the preferred destination for investment, commerce, tourism, industry and the living standard of the people improved; that when these things are combined, it will crystallize to growing Enugu economic GDP from the present 4.4 billion to over 30 billion dollars in the next eight years with a zero point for poverty index in the end.”
The Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Diaspora Matters, Mrs. Olangwa Ezekwu who commended the Diasporans for their interest explained that, “So it’s very important that we have a committee that is directing the Diaspora people. We have the power of influence. A lot of us send back money here even if we are not going to the different Local Government Areas and the Development Centres to vote, but we persuade our people back home. A lot of our people rely on us for a lot of economic benefits. So, it’s very imperative that we have a Diaspora Committee.”