Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State reiterated his administration’s commitment to generating and distributing electricity across the state during a town hall meeting at the Old Government House, Enugu, on Saturday.
He emphasized the importance of electricity as a crucial infrastructure for enabling the private sector to thrive, stating that the state would capitalize on the recent transfer of power generation, transmission, and distribution from the exclusive list to the concurrent list to ensure consistent power supply to the citizens.
Mbah announced the imminent establishment of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission as part of efforts to realize this objective, ensuring that there would be no monopoly in the electricity market, allowing people to buy and sell electricity freely.
Furthermore, the governor pledged to continue paying wage awards to state workers until the committee on the new minimum wage concluded its deliberations, underscoring his administration’s commitment to prioritizing workers’ welfare and fostering an environment conducive to their success.
Regarding pension and gratuity arrears, Mbah stated that his administration promptly cleared those inherited from retired civil servants and is currently focused on addressing similar issues affecting primary school teachers and Local Government workers.
Mbah emphasized the importance of education as a tool for poverty alleviation, announcing the construction of SMART Schools across 260 wards, scheduled to be operational by September 2025. These schools will feature tablet-based learning for students and smart board teaching for teachers, incorporating subjects like artificial intelligence and robotics to enhance technological literacy.
Additionally, the governor highlighted efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure, with plans to construct type two Primary Health Centres across all wards to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates. He mentioned that contracts for 30 health centers have been awarded, with 100 more set to follow.
Mbah assured that his administration had not increased tax rates but rather expanded the tax net while enforcing existing tax laws. He warned against sabotaging government efforts on water supply and pledged to maintain transparency, accountability, and accessibility to promote the state as an attractive destination for living, tourism, and investment.
On security, the governor mentioned initiatives such as installing CCTV cameras in strategic areas and constructing military barracks in flashpoint areas to combat crime effectively.
He highlighted his administration’s efforts to upgrade infrastructure, particularly in water supply, and mentioned plans to operationalize the International Conference Centre and the international wing of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, along with establishing a cargo terminal at the airport.