By Reuben Onyishi
(ugoachataberu)
When on his inauguration day as the governor of Enugu State Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, in his speech, declared it would be business usual, he was yet again referring to the disruptive innovation he would bring to bear on his inimitable drive for the exponential growth of the Enugu economy and the eradication of poverty in the state to zero percent headcount index. Right from the go, even during the build up to the gubernatorial primaries, Mbah had set the tone unmistakeably in his objectives which of course drive
his aspiration to lead Enugu State.
The oxymoronic structure of the term, disruptive innovation, brings out the hidden layers of significance, the otherness, of Mbah’s objectives beyond the surface configuration. It confounds the simple and amazes the learned the depth of thoughts that inform Governor Mbah’s philosophy of governance.
We get to a point in life when we get limited by the forces of complacency, a sweet comfort of sort,yet very much a debilitating barrier to the unexplored dimensions. We are just used to it, and it has become the acceptable pattern. Any attempt to disrupt it would be viewed as upsetting the applecart, some kind of vicious suspicion. The benumbed and frigid nerves are caused to thaw, and the process itself may be painful. We may even have gained some weight in the present circumstance, and so decide to rest on our oars, when available inputs beg to be optimally engaged. This is the picture of the disruption such as Mbah unleashes with some radical decisions towards the sevenfold astronomical growth of the Enugu economy.
The people of Enugu State have got to be ready as Mbah takes the state to economic higher heights. The people have got to mount wings like the eagle, and soar with this eagle-eyed transcedental young leader who saw tomorrow in today. Tomorrow is here. The decisions may be disruptive and painful; yet out of the bitter hives the sweet; the bitter but therapeutic pill.
Monday sit-at-home had become a norm. It had extinguished the enterprising spirit of the people. The people had been cowed to accept sit-at-home with its attendant economic losses and insecurity. You could not dare lest you would be killed and your property burnt. Investors were scared and the economy stultified, and we lived at the mercy of the vagabond non-state actors.
For a young leader of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah standing, burning with the spirit of economic transformation, sit-at-home had become the adversary at the gateway to the people’s wellbeing; it had become an elephant in the room which had got to be escorted out. It would be an arduous task since the mind of the people had been policed and prejudiced to accept the spurious narratives emotionally woven around the monstrous dinosaur on their back. It would take the resolute determination of Governor Mbah to pull Enugu State out of the snare. It would not be easy. Even the people being pulled out would shout to be left alone, for they had been used to their situation. But like Christ prayed, Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Every bit of what Governor Mbah does works for the good of the people. Salvation in the long run shall come their way, and then they would shout hallelujah.
The security challenges resulting from the resistance to the salvation of the people by the daredevils profiteering from the cash cow called sit-at-home is one challenge Mbah has surmounted by holding the bull by the horns. At some point, the people felt there were no presence of security men on the streets to boost their confidence to defy sit-at-home, and comply with its ban, even when Mbah had made assurance double sure, by maintaining a clean record of no security breach, leveraging strategic cyber security system, artificial intelligence and virtual augmentation. Then to assuage their fears, Mbah brought out Armoured Personnel Carriers on the roads and streets for the people to see, believe and comply, yet like the stiff-necked Israel for whom Moses worked to bring out of Egypt, they goaded by some misguided opposition cried that Enugu was being militarized. But Governor Mbah is mindful of the task of economic salvation he has undertaken to bring to bear. A peaceful Enugu State would precede economic growth. So, Enugu has got to be peaceful. The road may be turtous and slippery, but would definitely yield to Mbah’s inexorable but gingerly trudging of the path.
Stemming the tide of revenue and income linkages is quite another rot that would yield to Mbah’s disruptive innovation. A situation where individuals feast on the state’s revenue without remittance to the state treasury had been all the rage. Revenue collection points had been hijacked by touts and those who purportedly held contractual obligations of revenue collection for the state, but who would remit what pleased them and smile to the banks at the expense of the state. Perhaps, some politicians had been settled Or they settled themselves with revenue collection the funds of which they never remitted.Tax evasion and diversion were rife. All that has now been disrupted. It is business unusual, as Mbah seals all crevices of income linkages in Enugu State. Experts in public finance, revenue generation and fiscal prudence have been brought on board. All channels of revenue accruals to the state have been digitally streamlined. No more linkage; quite disruptively innovative business unusual. Those who used to benefit from the previous rot are kicking and casting aspersions on the Mbah Administration. The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, an astute administrator and expert in change management and leadership, infrastructure development, institutional reform and sustainable public sector performance, drives the process and has been being bashed by some ill-advised enemies of progress. But there is no looking back the hand having been put on the plow. This has become imperative for a government minded to unleash infrastructural development in the state.
More radical decisions may come the way of Enugu State. The intentions are quite clear and in line with Governor Mbah’s manifesto. Feathers may be ruffled, and it is natural with change, but the result is surely positive. All that is required of the people is cooperate with the Mbah Administration and give it maximum support and show understanding, knowing full well that the torch bearer who legitimately holds their mandate knows the way. Mbah surely shall lead Enugu State to the Aristocratic palace of prosperity, though the route may be rough. Put on your seatbelt as the rider capably navigates the snaky path to the land flowing with milk and honey.
Reuben Onyishi is the Senior Special Assistant (New Media) to the Governor of Enugu State.
