One premium lesson adulthood teaches is that in life there is the divine order of things and there is also the world order made and manipulated by man. For those like me who believe in the inevitability of divinity in the determination of mortality, the ways of men are inexorably a function of the hand of God Almighty.
It is neither a coincidence that the sun rises from the east nor was it a scientific discovery that led the three wise men from the east to the magical manger in Bethlehem. In the same vein, recent events in Enugu cannot be explained solely as the whiff of man’s wisdom.
The emergence of Dr. Peter Mbah as the would be elected governor of Enugu State come March 11, 2023 cannot be anything but divine. This is not by any means an attempt to downplay the place of hard work and political sagacity in the victory of the oil magnet in the 25 May 2022 PDP gubernatorial primary election, held in Enugu that produced him as the candidate of party and by extension, the gubernatorial sole candidate of Ndi-Enugu as they gears up to the 2023 general elections.
I speak of a more sublime side of the matter – the unassailable fact that Mbah is a man of destiny whose time has come. But what do I mean by ‘time’ here?
But then came the long kind arms of the omnipotent divine who looked from far above having heard the loud wailings and mute groaning of Ndi-Enugu under the heavy hand of the bad situation of Nigeria occasioned by the rampaging insecurity, poverty and hunger and intervened on the 25 May 2022 to put smiles on the faces of the people.
And from the many that postured as the called God chose and anointed Mbah to lead his people from the years of unfavourable economic hardship and plunder into the greener pasture of restoration and prosperity. Thus when he become governor by May 29, 2023 the people will see in his electoral victory as epochal as its outcome is momentous.
Ndi-Enugu will speak to the touch of destiny which defines Mbah’s mandate. It shows of a man who is not only conscious of and can correctly interpret the signs of the times but is imbued with the empathy and courage to appreciate the interconnectedness of his divine calling with the yearnings and aspirations of the man he has been called to serve.
But will Mbah serve Ndi-Enugu State truly? Will he be different from the rest of the political class? Will he deliver good governance and leave positive imprints in the sands of time? These are very valid questions but I must first of all raise a word of caution by saying that while Mbah has turned out to be the man of the moment for Enugu, the expectation should not be a stewardship without occasional bumps.
Meanwhile, that would cloaking him with the garb of a saint and we know there are no saints on this earthly plane. I am however confident that the questions raised above would be answered in the affirmative. And this is why:
In the about two decades of Mbah’s involvement in politics and leadership, he has come to be identified with three solid character traits – Capacity, Competence and Consistency. Given the muddy mix of Nigeria’s political waters, I dare add a fourth one: Integrity.
For someone like many of us that has worked closely with him in the cause of executing our electioneering campaign, I am not able to circumscribe my experiences and thoughts to the limited space of this article in order to exhaust the details of the salient and enviable character traits laid out above.
But one thing I can say without any fear of contradiction is that for him to have straddled and swaddled through the landmines of Enugu politics for decades without as much as a blemish to his name and brand is an eloquent testimony to the character and personality of Dr. Peter Mbah.
Though an influential member of the political class of this state, his brand of politics is anchored on forthrightness and integrity of purpose, both of which are rare attributes he would be bringing to bear on the governance of Enugu state.
And he is already acting it. Refer again to his engagement with Ndi-Enugu during a tour to the 68 development centres across the 17 local government areas: “We shall run an open, transparent and accountable government with due process as its hallmark. I believe strongly that those in positions of authority must render account of their stewardship to the people. The era of I don’t care attitude in Enugu State is gone.” What is important for me however is that Ndi-Enugu should be encouraged to take Mbah seriously on his pledge to “run an all-inclusive government and not a government of exclusion.”
Here me further: Dr. Mbah will promote the unity of the state, rather than accentuate the fissures that have characterized our relationship with each other in recent times. Mbah’s priority will be for the industrialization of Enugu. And he shall put the state on the path of positive development, productive progress that will lift the standard of living for the people. Enugu has always been known for the right things, with a huge reservoir of human capital waiting to be exploited for the great leap forward.
Dr. Mbah will ensure that Ndi-Enugu remain brothers and sisters with a common destiny. He is certain that with all good hands-on deck, Ndi-Enugu shall achieve the state of their dreams.
Once the elections are over. What remains is the fulfillment of the promises he made to the people. Recall he entered into a social contract with Ndi-Enugu with his manifesto presented, and he shall remain faithful to the obligations in that contract. This contract seeks to substantially improve the welfare, security, property rights, economic and social advancement of the people. Dr. Mbah shall find creative ways of finding the ambitious infrastructural projects and give Enugu the quality education, healthcare and general good governance that the people desire.
But are some politicians not known to be huge in rhetoric but shrunken in deliverables? Again this is another very valid question. And the onus is on Peter Mbah to walk his talk and prove to all who has reposed such huge faith in him that he will be the governor that all Ndi-Enugu and the rest of Nigeria will be proud of by the time the jury is out. I am super confident that he can do just that. I wish this great man of destiny who is just 51years a resounding victory at the poll. Definitely, he will be elected the next governor of Enugu state come March 11, 2023.
Indeed, Tomorrow Is Here.
BY PRINCE UGOCHUKWU NWANJOKU
