How Governor Peter Mbah’s Bold Economic Reforms and Market Sensitization Drive Are Unlocking a New Era of Prosperity in Enugu State

 

His Excellency Dr. Peter Ndubisi Mbah has brought our tomorrow here, and we must consolidate. His vision to make Enugu State the fastest-growing economy in Africa is a task that must be accomplished!
He is succeeding, we are on it together, no retreat, no surrender.

The ongoing familiarization/sensitization tour of the major markets in Enugu State, meant to enlighten the market communities on the essence of the unified E-pay Tax service and daily toll payment, championed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Market Liaison, Hon. Chief Dr. Chinedu Mbah, is yielding unquantifiable dividends.

Through this medium, the proposed moves to lift the State’s GDP from Four Billion Dollars ($4.4B) to Thirty Billion Dollars ($30B) within four to eight years will come to fruition.

Meanwhile, every marketer in the state will be rightly and properly informed about the need for the newly introduced unified e-tax payment and daily toll, which are scheduled to commence implementation in the second week of April.

Accordingly, every shop or store owner in all the markets or their environs in Enugu State will pay a yearly unified tax of #36,000, only through the authorized banks, and deposit the bank tellers with the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service officer in the market, who will then issue them with an official revenue receipt. Meanwhile, vendors of all categories will pay a daily toll of #200.00, remitted through the same Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) officers deployed to every market.

This will settle the issue of double taxation and the use of touts who intimidate and forcefully collect revenue in the alleged name of the state government an act that did not conform to international best practices of generating revenue.

The Senior Special Assistant, who displays excellent oratory and explanatory ability, always takes his time to educate and explain to the market communities the meaning and need to pay their taxes, which he describes as a generational practice everywhere in the world.

The SSA, being a grassroots mobilizer with his group, the PETER MBAH MARKET MONITORING TEAM, has been touring the entire major markets in the state, drawing the attention of the stakeholders to the need to pay taxes and to upgrade their markets to a level that will attract not only the presence of the state government but also investors from within and outside the country who have shown interest in partnering with the rural market communities in the state.

Chief Chinedu Mbah reiterates the slogan of the present administration in Enugu State that says, "TOMORROW IS HERE."

Literally put, "Enugu State cannot continue to wait for the next 50, 60, or 70 years to come before it will favorably compete or equal the contemporary digitized advanced world; meaning that the state has to join the rest of the world to do those things that make western countries great."

"These can be done here today."

Certainly, it requires only a visionary leader like Dr. Barr. Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who foresaw the potentials lying waste here and visualized and delved into realizing it, with every sense of optimism.
"Our Tomorrow is Here," he maintains.

Absolutely, the actualization of the tenets of this mantra ("tomorrow is here") depends heavily on growing the economy, which cannot be left to the public sector alone.

It will happen through the collaboration of constructive investments from the private sector traders, marketers, industrialists, etc. the efforts of all Ndi Enugu; so, we can rise with one voice and affirm strongly that, "Our Tomorrow is Here," indeed.

Through this vision of our Great Governor, His Excellency Dr. Peter Mbah, it becomes imperative that we play our individual and collective roles to further achieve this enormous goal.

Joyfully, the Governor, from the onset, realized what it requires to make this dream come true.

He knows that venturing into revolutionary economic moves requires necessary inputs, like the provision of key enablers that will attract businesses from all parts of the globe and consolidate the existing ones.

Hence, the need for institutionalizing a formidable security outfit to secure the lives and properties of Ndi-Enugu.

He saw this as an inevitable challenge that must be rigorously tackled.

He started right from the very day he took the oath of office to serve Ndi-Enugu, and with a deliberate approach to conflict resolution, he eradicated the obnoxious Monday sit-at-home syndrome that instilled fear and tension in the whole South East region and its environs.

While we were still shouting kudos to him, the Governor went another extra mile in fortifying and strengthening all the conventional security outfits in the state.

He equipped them with both moral and financial support, procuring internationally modernized surveillance gadgets, as well as camera-equipped speed vehicles to maintain 24-hour patrols throughout the state.

In furtherance, he boosted the provision of meaningful infrastructural development projects, human capital/capacity building, and introduced the Smart Green Schooling modules as a panacea to unpack the skills of the younger generation and youths in digital technology.

His intention is to reorient and outrightly change the narrative, as well as redirect the people's mindset from "business as usual" to "business unusual" or, rather, disruptive innovation trends. Above all, he is maintaining a streamlined sense of political will (good governance).

In most of his speeches to the marketers, the Senior Special Assistant maintains that the Governor has prioritized the provision of social amenities like toilet facilities, electricity, pipe-borne water, mobile waste bins, and erecting perimeter fences where necessary.

According to him, these are part of the social contract that the Governor signed with the market communities during his electioneering campaign.

The SSA assures them that he will be representing these promises as a reminder to the Governor.

He often admonishes them to keep their part of the contract by paying their taxes as and when due, adding that the Governor is already fulfilling his part of this contract with the robust infrastructural development spreading across the state.

It is clear that the current transformation of the state is quite significant.

The construction of Smart Green Schools and Smart Green Health Care Centres in the 260 political wards of Enugu State, going on simultaneously, cannot be overemphasized, as no part of the state is left behind in the venture.

There is no gain in repeating the fact that the Governor is focused.

Other visible infrastructural developments going on simultaneously, such as reviving moribund and abandoned government projects like the International Conference Centre, Hotel Presidential, etc., also include redesigning, reconstructing, and constructing new access roads. These projects are geared towards creating a linkage network to every nook and cranny in Enugu State and its neighboring states, opening up business activities and boosting the economy to reach the envisaged target by 2031.

The present stride by the Governor to develop a new Enugu City—a project of an ambitious urban development initiative aiming to transform Enugu into a modern Smart City with three key areas: Happy Island, Vitality Bay, and Innovative Park—focusing on leisure, health, and technology, is paving the way for global investors.

Apparently, the Governor is an international businessman. He understands the language of buying and selling, is creative, and is creating the enabling environment to achieve these goals. He is stopping at nothing to utilize every business strategy and opportunity to trade.

Hence, he embarked on opening up every business avenue, such as transportation reforms and cargo haulage ventures.

Just recently, the Governor floated and commissioned an airline outfit (Enugu Airways) for the state, another groundbreaking approach to business.

He is completing arrangements for the launch of internationally standard bus terminals, which will usher in the state’s CNG buses for an eco-friendly and affordable transport system across Enugu State and the country at large.

Returning to the market tours, Hon. Chief Dr. Chinedu Mbah continues to inform the marketers of the need to quickly key into the government’s unified e-tax payment service. He keeps reminding them that for the government to realize these lofty ventures, it is a matter of collective responsibility and collaborative efforts, especially from the traders in the state, who must show commitment to the payment of taxes and tolls. This, he describes as a sine qua non for every development.

From the desk of
An observer,
"Sonny De Poet"