Enugu state governor, Peter Mbah, is introverted, almost. Never showy; no abrasive garishness associated with some public office holders of his status. But he is smart. Mbah is a smart governor building a smart state. And he does it quietly. Now he has earned the respect of Nigerian editors, a veneration only enjoyed by a few governors.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors’ (NGE) 2025 biennial convention which held in the state from June 26-28 provided a fitting moment for editors to scrutinise Mbah’s leadership style, vision and impact on the state in the last 24 months. From editors across the nation – from far north to the uttermost part of the south – the verdict was a unanimous aye. An endorsement of the futuristic re-engineering of a state once considered a ‘civil service’ state; steeped in history, political relevance and home to some of the brightest and best minds in the nation’s socio-economic agora.
The convention itself was a success. An intellectual festival, a fellowship of discourses, networking, debates and diatribes, food and drinks, gossip, indulgences, plus those critical components called election of new Exco and induction of new members and Fellows. A flurry of activities crammed into two days. This writer became a Fellow of the Guild on this auspicious occasion 24 years after joining the Guild, eight of which he functioned in the Exco and was moderator (compere) of Guild events for 12 years.
So, in Enugu editors gathered. In the grand company of Governor Mbah (host), ebullient John Momoh of Channels Media Group (chair of the occasion), multi-disciplinary media legend Onyema Ugochukwu of the glorious Daily Times fame and pioneer chairman of the NDDC; and the unpretentious media devotee Aremo Segun Osoba, a former managing director of the Daily Times and former Ogun state governor; both dignifying the event as Fathers of the day. And truly, they are good fathers. The Department of State Security (DSS) put up a memorable appearance, codifying its operations with empirical display of brilliant surveillance and intelligence gathering modus operandi and reminding the editors on the need to be more security conscious in their duty of poaching for news and disseminating same. No doubt, the secret police is returning to the traditional modus vivendi of secrecy, operating in the shadows, not seen, not heard, yet effectively ubiquitous. Thumbs ups to the new leadership.
John Momoh wore his trademark composure as he addressed editors in his unmistakable baritone voice. He reminded us of our duty as gate-keepers and watchdogs. He roused the editors to emergent challenges of society and the concurrent demands of their callings. Journalism is not just a profession, it’s a mission; he said, the tonality of his voice echoing through the ‘captured’ audience. Indeed, journalism is a mission, beyond the concept of vocation and profession. A journalist is on a mission to help build society, enlighten the people, give voice to the voiceless, shape opinion, query and scrutinise authorities, investigate processes and ensure conformity to norms, mores and laws; drive inclusivity, set agenda for both the leaders and the led; rebuke those who deserve deprecation, effect change, and much more.
Momoh took editors on a historical voyage and what Enugu represents in both the old and the present. “This city was the heartbeat of Eastern Nigeria. It was home to some of the bravest voices in the Golden Age of Nigerian journalism,” describing Enugu as a “city of memory, a city of journalism… where ink and paper challenged oppression and demanded accountability.” If any editor ever suffered memory bug, Momoh jolted us from that amnesia, touching off on the exploits (mission) of legends like the Great Nnamdi Azikiwe who launched the Nigerian Outlook and West African Pilot on a mission to propagate a national consciousness of an Independent Nigeria and shoo the colonial overlords out of the way; Ralph Uwechue, M.C.K. Ajuluchukwu and Uche Chukwumerije who “did not just report history; they lived it.”
Enugu was the capital of eastern Nigeria and was also the Fleet Street of the eastern press. A city at peace with itself and with nature. Endowed with jaw-dropping rolling hills and mountains, wide berth lakes and long rivers, all sitting on arable land, Enugu was the destination of first choice for tourists. This is the old glory that the governor is working to recreate.
Governance is not all about bricks and mortar; building roads and bridges. Mbah realises this and he has become intentional in his leadership objectives. He is building an amalgam of soft power to drive the state’s socio-economic status. He’s impacting directly on his people, advancing healthcare and education and ensuring security of lives and property.
Enugu has 260 wards, each ward has a Smart Green School, a Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centre, and a 200-hectare Farm Estate. Mbah is not only building Enugu city centre, he’s building rural communities and engendering inclusivity.
The concept of smart school is truly smart. The idea is to turn learners into creators, equipping the learners with tools of innovation. This is the concept of learning in Asia and the western world. It encourages hands-on learning as against the outmoded rote learning. Smart learning is infused with technology. It’s practice-oriented far beyond memorizing formulas and equations. With smart learning, you innovate solutions, create products, and produce a new brave new generation of geeks and gizmos. Mbah is turning Enugu schools into digital geekdoms and it’s only a matter of time, a community of silicon hubs will sprout out of the state. Each of these schools has 25 inclusive classrooms, totalling 6,500 new classrooms built across the state in just 24 months.
A 24-hour primary healthcare service powered by renewable energy, and equipped with water, sanitation facilities, and highly motivated staff with on-site residential quarters gives healthcare in the state a genuine bottom-up life. This is no make-believe. Editors toured the state and saw these emblems of development including a Command and Control Centre equipped with cutting-edge innovation to sustain 24/7 surveillance across Enugu communities. This has reduced crime rate in the state by 80 percent, says the governor. Mbah is ambitiously building a $30 billion economy and he has smartly launched Enugu Air, a state-owned airline into the mix. Little wonder editors left the state applauding the quiet Mbah while some others wished he was their governor.
