By PETRUS OBI
Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, is not looking back on his desire and commitment to bring rapid development to Enugu, since his victory at the polls on March 18.
Mbah polled a total of 160,895 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, who scored 157,552 votes.
In his acceptance speech the Governor elect promised to end perennial water scarcity within 180 days of being sworn-in as the governor of the state.
Mbah said when inaugurated, his administration would be in a hurry to carry out developmental projects across the state including solving the water scarcity problem.
“As we bring water to all homes in Enugu Metropolis in 180 days of our being sworn in, we shall bring water, in the shortest possible time, to Nsukka, Oji River, Udi, Awgu and others too,” he said.
“We shall frontally confront the infrastructural deficits in all parts of the state and no one will be left behind,” Mr Mbah stated.
Water scarcity in Enugu has been a recurring problem for decades despite huge financial investments in the sector by successive state governments and international organisations.
Authorities said the water scarcity was exacerbated by the topography of the state and the presence of coal deposits which frustrate efforts to build boreholes.
Efforts by the Enugu State Water Corporation, a state agency tasked with the responsibility of supplying water from Oji, Iva, Ninth Mile and Ajali Rivers to households in the state, have not been very successful due to recurring equipment breakdown.
As a result, residents rely largely on hand-dug wells for water, which usually dry up during the dry season. It worsens the scarcity yearly, usually between December and March in the state.
In a bid to fulfill the promises Everydaynewsngr.net can authoritatively report that the Governor elect has long started working towards achieving his goals even before his swearing in.
Our source revealed that already materials for the water project has long been ordered from abroad and expected to arrive Enugu in no distant time.
The governor elect is also said to be in contact and have held several meetings with expatriates and foreign partners for further projects which his administration would carry out.
“As I told you during the campaign, the administration we will run will bring joy to your hearts. We will make you remember March 18, 2023 with a toothy smile.
“In infrastructure, health, tourism, education and development of our state in general, we will run a government that you can be proud of. We are in a hurry to dualize the Abakpa, Ugwuogo Nike-Nsukka road, build a monorail from Enugu to Nsukka, Udi, Awgu and construct a ring road to connect all the 17 local government areas of Enugu State,” he said.
He said his administration would “unleash tech talents in young people, and grow and nurture their interest in business and vocations skills.” He also promised to build a skill enhancement centre in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.
“We are in a hurry to build a world class theme park in Enugu. We are in a hurry to establish special economic zones in all the local government areas, as well as agro-allied processing zones and industrial parks in all our senatorial zones,” Mr Mbah added.
The governor-elect who released a list of technocrats as Transition Committee on Monday, is expected to be sworn-in as governor of the state on 29 May.
