Enugu Gov. Mbah Appoints 13 PermSecs, Insists, No Honeymoon Period

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, on Monday swore in 13 newly appointed permanent secretaries, charging them to immediately align with his administration’s delivery-oriented governance model. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Government House, Enugu, where the governor emphasized accountability, performance, and service delivery across the state civil service. List of Newly Appointed Permanent Secretaries in Enugu State The newly sworn-in permanent secretaries are: Appointments Based on Merit — Gov. Mbah Governor Mbah said the appointments were strictly merit-based, following a rigorous and transparent selection process. He noted that the exercise also filled existing vacancies in the Enugu State civil service to promote fairness, inclusion, and efficiency. According to the governor, there would be no honeymoon period for the new permanent secretaries, stressing that greater responsibility comes with higher office. “I believe you worked very hard to get to this level in your careers and went through a very rigorous process to be selected. It is well deserved,” Mbah said.“But the honeymoon is over. To whom much is given, much is expected.” Permanent Secretaries Are Engine Room of Government Mbah described permanent secretaries as the engine room of government and custodians of institutional memory, adding that his administration is implementing far-reaching reforms across all sectors of the state. He urged the appointees to support the government’s reform agenda and ensure effective policy implementation. New Permanent Secretaries Pledge Commitment Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Ikechukwu Ezenwukwa, thanked Governor Mbah for the confidence reposed in them. Ezenwukwa acknowledged the administration’s achievements in revenue generation and infrastructural development, pledging their full support. “We pledge to add value to these achievements and assure you that you will not be disappointed in appointing us,” he said.

Governance: Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu residents rate governors

The governors were rated high on security, infrastructure and governance As most administrations in the country observe the midterm review, many residents of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States score their governors high in security, infrastructure and governance. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi mark their two years in office, their counterpart in Anambra, Prof Chukwuma Soludo is rounding up his first four-year tenure in November, 2025. In Enugu State, Igwe Patrick Okoro, the Traditional Ruler of Nkpunano Community in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state, said Gov Mbah had done well in various sectors of the economy in the state especially in infrastructure, security and good leadership. Okoro, while reacting to the performance of the governors since assuming office in May 2023, said that Mbah had done massive  infrastructural development in the three senatorial districts of the state. “We, in Enugu North Senatorial District, have benefited 102 Smart Green Schools, 102 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres and  more importantly the ongoing dualization of the Enugu-Ugwogo Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road. “The district is happy with what Mbah has done in the past two years and we urge him to keep it up,” he said. Mr Onyekachi Omeje, President, Nsukka Youths Development Association, said that the governor had transformed the motor parks in the state with a state of the art bus terminals in Enugu and Nsukka. Omeje however, said that Mbah should improve in areas of employment and empowerment especially as it concerned youths in the state. Mrs Ngozi Ozioko, former Chairman of Nsukka Main Market, said that Mbah had transformed the state with quality infrastructure especially in education and health as well as ensuring adequate security in Enugu State. Ozioko commended the governor for including women in his cabinet and urged him to continue to appoint more women in his administration. “To me, Mbah is a game-changer; if he continues this way, Enugu State will be the best state in the country by the time he finishes his first and second tenures,” she said. However, the former market leader urged the governor to compensate all traders whose shops were demolished by his administration to build modern bus terminals in the state. Chief Onyema Idoko, former Nsukka LG Caretaker Committee Chairman and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that infrastructures on ground in Enugu State remained eloquent testimony that Mbah had done well since May 29, 2023 he assumed office. Idoko urged people who said that the governor had not done well in terms of employment and empowerment to know that massive infrastructure would provide enabling environment for business to thrive in the state. According to Idoko, these massive infrastructure the governor is putting in place would in turn boost youth employment and empowerment in the state in future. Speaking, Chief Anthony Onyishi, Deputy-govenorship Candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2023 general elections, said that Nsukka people were happy with the Smart school vision of Mbah as well as the dualization of the Enugu-Ugwogo Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road. Onyishi however, said that Mbah could have used virgin lands to build the Smart Schools instead of demolishing some existing primary and secondary schools in the state to build the Smart schools. On agriculture, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, said that Gov. Mbah had deepened the vision to make Enugu State export and commercial agriculture hub in Africa. According to him, the ministry started with a target of acquiring 300,000 hectares of farmland for agricultural purposes especially for developing large scale commercial farming. He said that so far, 187,934 hectares across various locations in the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state had been acquired; and more land to be acquired from willing communities across the LGAs. “Continuous update and registration of farmers data on all agricultural value chains across the 17 LGAs in Enugu State has been completed. This is to ensure that the State has a robust and verified data of all farmers within the state. “Over 67,000 farmers’ data have been captured featuring the geo coordinates, farm sizes, specialisations, value-chain etc of these farmers and their farms with over 80 farmer co-operatives registered so far,” he said. On Economy, the Director General of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr Uchechukwu Mba, said the governor had been  building on the economy of the state. He observed that a lot of infrastructure development and reforms under Mbah’s administration made the state stand out within two years in office. “In my personal assessment, he is doing well in the areas of transport, infrastructure, investment in education, health sector and a whole lot of others. “But  government needs to sustain what it is doing currently and look at the effect of the existing policies they already formulated by reviewing some of them to improve lives of the citizens. “This is important as so many business owners are complaining about taxation, but for me as a person, tax is a necessary policy that the government has to keep. “Our own is to make sure that every tax policy is friendly and that the means of collecting them does not affect or bring adverse effect on the living standard. “So we are in support of what the government is doing and we encourage the government to always look downwards and hear from the citizens,”. The President, Airfreight Stakeholder’s Forum, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Comrade Chinedu Abugu, hailed Gov. Mbah for changing narratives in the state’s transport sector. Congratulating  him on his achievements on transportation under two years, Abugu, said the governor built bus terminals in different places in Enugu capital and Nsukka, taking transport sector to another level as obtained in developed countries. “And recently, the governor, in the collaboration of partners, has launched the Enugu Air. It is already in the news and  no longer a secret, that Enugu has an airline which will  boost the economy of the state. “It is also going to boost the

36th Enugu Int’l T/Fair attracts 200 companies – Official

The Enugu Chamber of Commerce, says it expects over 200 indigenous companies to participate at it’s forthcoming 36th Trade Fair.  The Chamber disclosed also that it expects participation from Chinese, Indian, Tunisian and Ghanaian companies. The Director-General of the Chamber, Mr. Uche Mba told newsmen in Enugu on Tuesday that about 100 indigenous companies would exhibit at the Fair. The week-long Fair, will kick off on April 4. The theme of this year’s fair is “Developing Nigeria Industrial Sector/SMEs for Economic Advancement and Global Recognition”. Mba said that over 120 Medium, Small and Nano Enterprises had indicated interest to exhibit their products and services at the Fair. He said Chinese, Indian, Tunisian, Ghanaian companies have indicated interest and working to have their stands at the fair. “Within the West African sub-region, the High Commissioner of Ghana sent in an official from Abuja to come and inspect the trade fair premises some days ago. “He was sent to make sure that it will be a good one for them and to make necessary arrangements. “So, for now, lots of companies within the West African sub-region have indicated interest and will be there live during the fair,’’ he said. Mba said that the Chamber had put strategies in place to ensure that stakeholders benefit from participation in the Fair. “We took a bold step for the first time in November 2024 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Xavier Communications, to develop a robust marketing plan and attract companies. “The chamber is putting finishing touches on an additional air conditioned tent, which is the biggest tent ever in the country, at the fair ground to ensure that where possible, all exhibitors would display indoors. “This move was in our quest to revive the glory of the Enugu International Trade Fair and give the exhibitors, participants and general public coming to the Fair a positive experience. “We are particularly happy that this step has proven to be in the right direction as we have been receiving streams of enquiries and interests from corporate/multinational organisations and institutions declaring interest to participate in the forthcoming fair,” he said.

Council Chairman pays WAEC fees for 1,794 students

The chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, Pastor Beloved Dan-Anike, has paid the registration fees for 1,759 children enrolled in Enugu state public schools for the 2025 West African Examination Council (WAEC). Anike made the disclosure in a meeting with principals of the 13 public secondary schools in the council area on Friday at the council headquarters in Nkwo Nike. He said the gesture was part of the activities to mark his 100 days in office as well as to give back to the society that voted him into power. READ ALSO: ICJ orders Israel to ensure prevention of genocide in Gaza The council chairman said that the fees covered every eligible student resident and schooling in the government owned secondary schools in the LGA. He urged principals to refund those who had already paid for the WAEC fees and inform their parents and the various communities about the gesture for accountability and transparency. Anike also said that he would extend the same gesture to students in the Army Day Command Secondary School resident in the council area. According to him, I know that not all SS3 students in the Command School live in the local government area but I would like to have a list of the eligible students that reside in the area so that they can benefit from the gesture. READ ALSO: Mmesoma, JAMB and Nigerian sentiments The chairman commended the principals for providing quality education for the students and pledged to look into their challenges for possible solution. Anike however, presented a 25 kilogram bag of rice to each of the school principals in the local government area. In her remarks, the Principal of the Community High School, Emene, Ms Chioma Ebue, thanked the chairman for his magnanimity to the education sector in the state and pledged their unalloyed support to him. Ebue also thanked him for awarding scholarships to some indigent students in public schools in the area and prayed God to bless and sustain his efforts. 

Tinubu Visits Enugu for Project Commissioning Today 

President Bola Tinubu is about now in Enugu to commission a series of projects initiated by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration.  According to a statement from the State Government Secretary, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Tinubu will oversee the unveiling of several completed projects, including 30 smart schools and 60 healthcare centers.  The visit will also feature the opening of the newly constructed Enugu International Conference Centre, urban roads, a Command and Control Centre, and the launch of advanced security patrols with AI-equipped vehicles. Additionally, some rural roads will be inaugurated during the one-day visit. READ ALSO: China’s Foreign Minister to Visit Four African Nations, Nigeria This visit coincides with the challenge posed to the Nigerian leader by a member of the opposition, HE Mr. Peter Obi who challenged him to cut down on foreign trips and visits more states of the federation to feel the pause of Nigerians. Mr. Obi who was the second runner up in the 2023 presidential elections also hinged his admonition on the fact that such visit would enable Mr. Tinubu to appreciate the hardship his economic policies has wrought on the common Nigerian. Mr. Tinubu is reputed to have spent above a third of his time in office in foreign trips in search of so-called foreign investments that have remained largely elusive. READ ALSO: Ohaneze Nd’igbo Welcomes President Tinubu to Enugu, Asks Him to Order the Release of Nnamdi Kanu