Nkanu Youth Organization Denounces Statement, Reaffirms Unwavering Support for Governor Peter Mbah

 

The Nkanu Youth Organization (NYO) has strongly disowned a press statement falsely attributed to it and dated September 26, 2025, describing it as a malicious fabrication by fringe elements seeking to discredit the transformative leadership of Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. In a firm rebuttal issued by the Pioneer President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), the group condemned the attempt to hijack its platform, insisting that the false publication neither followed the organization’s constitution nor enjoyed the BOT’s consultation, and reaffirmed its unwavering support for Governor Mbah’s visionary administration, which has brought unprecedented peace, unity, and progress to the state.

INTRODUCTION

Our attention has been drawn to a press statement falsely attributed to the Nkanu Youth Organization, dated September 26, 2025. As the Pioneer President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), we unequivocally declare that this fabrication does not reflect the unified voice or position of the Nkanu Youth Organization or Nkanu Youths. It is a regrettable ploy by fringe elements, masquerading and motivated by sleepy opposition proxies, to hijack our esteemed platform and tarnish the transformative legacy of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Governor of Enugu State. This insidious campaign which did not follow our constitution nor the consultation or blessings of the BOT seeks to erode the hard-won peace, unity, and unprecedented progress under Dr. Mbah’s visionary stewardship, a leadership that has not only elevated Enugu State but earned global acclaim. Dr. Mbah’s administration stands as a beacon of excellence, validated by prestigious accolades from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, international bodies, and federal agencies. The Nkanu Youth Organization remains steadfast in its unwavering support for Governor Mbah, whose inclusive governance resonates deeply with the dreams and dynamism of Nkanu youths, Enugu’s vibrant youth population, and Nigerian youth nationwide.

POINT-BY-POINT REBUTTAL

1.  Human Capital Development

The impugned statement’s claim of youth neglect and insufficient investment in human capital is a blatant distortion of facts, bereft of evidence and contradicted by the administration’s robust track record. Far from sidelining the youth, Dr. Mbah’s government has championed their empowerment as a cornerstone of sustainable development, recognizing that human capital is the true wealth of any nation and investing heavily to eradicate poverty while building a skilled, innovative workforce. Through the Enugu State Ministries of SMEs and Youth and Sports Development, alongside strategic federal and state partnerships, thousands of Nkanu and Enugu youths have accessed skills training, entrepreneurial grants, and job placements, directly addressing unemployment and fostering innovation, as evidenced by the inauguration of the Enugu State Human Capital Development Council in May 2025, which coordinates comprehensive programs to upskill one million youths in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, data science, software development, cybersecurity, machine learning, cloud computing, 3D animation, and business intelligence through six-week virtual training partnerships with over 170 European universities, culminating in diploma certifications that enhance global employability. Governor Mbah has strategically appointed exceptional young talents from Nkanu to pivotal roles, entrusting them with real influence in decision-making, including Nnamani Arinze as Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Josh Ejeh as Special Assistant to the Governor, Prisca as Special Assistant on Student and Youth Affairs, and Engr. Samuel Onyinye Okoro as Senior Special Assistant on Mineral Resources and Mining amongst others. These are not mere gestures but substantive platforms enabling Nkanu youths to drive policy, gain invaluable expertise, and architect a brighter future, further bolstered by initiatives like the full scholarship awarded to 17-year-old Master Israel Echezona in May 2024, covering N23 million in fees for pilot training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, and the allocation of 33 percent of the 2025 budget to education for the Smart Green Schools Initiative, constructing 260 technology-driven, solar-powered schools equipped with digital learning infrastructure to prepare children as global leaders and solution providers in emerging markets. This deliberate youth inclusion underscores Dr. Mbah’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders, transforming rhetoric into tangible empowerment that aligns with his foundational Peter Mbah Foundation’s longstanding focus on rural community upliftment and human capital enhancement.

2. .  Taxation and Economic Policy

Allegations of “multiple taxation” and administrative “zero empathy” are not only unfounded but a deliberate misrepresentation of progressive fiscal reforms that have revolutionized Enugu’s economy without oppressing its people. Dr. Mbah inherited a fiscal landscape marred by inefficiencies, leakages, and non-state actor interferences that left 99 percent of informal sector players untaxed yet starved of services, yet his administration has pioneered a renaissance in economic governance by signing into law the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service Bill in 2024, establishing an autonomous one-stop shop for taxation that centralizes collections, digitizes processes with electronic filing and consolidated demand notices, and eliminates duplicative levies through a transparent, technology-driven system compliant with the Personal Income Tax Act, ensuring formal employees pay via Pay-As-You-Earn while assessing informal traders and transporters fairly to curb harassment and build a predictable business environment. Revenues are judiciously reinvested into citizen-centric initiatives, including world-class infrastructure like over 1,000 kilometers of urban and rural roads transforming Enugu into a construction site of progress, reliable water supply fulfilling the 180-day promise to end decades of scarcity, bolstered security via the Distress Response Squad and an extensive AI-enabled CCTV network with a world-class command center, and robust SME ecosystems that have attracted over N300 billion in investments, catapulting internally generated revenue from N37.4 billion at the end of 2023 to N144.7 billion by September 2024, a 286.2 percent surge that funds an 86 percent capital-intensive 2025 budget aimed at growing the state’s GDP from $4.4 billion to $30 billion in eight years through investor-friendly policies like the Enugu State Geographic Information System Law for streamlined land access and the establishment of 260 Smart Farm Estates blending agro-digitization, high-yield seedlings distribution, youth tractor maintenance training, and climate-smart practices to revolutionize agriculture and create jobs. These measures have cultivated a fertile business climate, spurring job creation, economic multiplication, and poverty reduction rather than stifling growth, with President Bola Tinubu personally lauding Dr. Mbah’s strides during his January 2025 visit to commission projects, affirming that such reforms secure lives, attract foreign and local investors, and position Enugu as a tech-driven hub, making it mischievous to portray evidence-based, empathetic fiscal ingenuity as punitive when it has demonstrably enhanced prosperity for all Enugu residents.

3.  On Endorsements and Politics

The assertion of “premature endorsements” and political distractions is a smokescreen for envy, ignoring the democratic essence of endorsements as organic affirmations of merit earned through relentless service and transformative impact. The Nkanu Youth Organization is apolitical in its core, a guardian of good governance, not a tool for partisan vitriol, and our allegiance is to excellence, which Dr. Mbah exemplifies through policies rooted in empathy, inclusivity, and forward-thinking vision that have dismantled the debilitating Monday sit-at-home order without casualties, restoring economic vitality, nightlife, tourism, and Monday trading while eradicating unknown gunmen threats to foster stability and investor confidence. Endorsements for Dr. Mbah are not opportunistic but validated by his administration’s bold disruptions, from healthcare revolutions with specialized courts and witness support units to environmental stewardship making Enugu Nigeria’s cleanest state, and as we approach 2027, Nkanu youths will rally with resounding unity, casting an overwhelming mandate that echoes our collective gratitude for a governor who delivers beyond promises, having earned the New Telegraph Governor of the Year Award for Security in February 2024, the Sun Newspaper’s Governor of the Year in Nigeria 2024 for administrative excellence in water provision, road construction, and insecurity combat, and the LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year 2024 for visionary economic and educational reforms.

OUR STAND

The Board of Trustees of the Nkanu Youth Organization categorically disavows the September 26, 2025, press statement as a rogue fabrication by discord-sowing agents. It represents no fraction of our collective will; rather, it is a calculated assault on harmony and advancement. The true clarion call of Nkanu youths is solidarity, progress, and fervent endorsement of Dr. Mbah’s exemplary tenure.

Under Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s trailblazing administration, Enugu State is not merely governed but elevated through youth empowerment via tech skills programs and scholarships, fiscal ingenuity dismantling inefficiencies for equitable growth, infrastructural metamorphosis with over 1,000 kilometers of roads and 260 smart schools, and an inclusive ethos honoring every citizen from rural farmers to urban innovators. His globally recognized achievements stand as enduring proof of democratic dividends realized. The legitimate leadership of the Nkanu Youths reaffirms our absolute faith in Governor Mbah. We commit our collective energy to his vision, standing resolute through 2027 and into a prosperous horizon for Nkanu, Enugu, and Nigeria.

Signed:

Hon. Edeani M. Edeani, JP

Pioneer President, Nkanu Youth Organization

Hon. Dr Chinedu Mbah

(Dike Eji Eje Mba )

Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Nkanu Youth Organization