Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has once again called for the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, emphasizing that “freeing Kanu is the right thing to do.”
The governor made this appeal during a question-and-answer session following his presentation on “Leadership and Transformation” at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference held in Enugu.
Speaking about his advocacy efforts, Governor Mbah revealed that his first official visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu focused on pressing for Kanu’s release. In response to a participant’s encouragement to persist, he affirmed:
“My first visit to the President was about Nnamdi Kanu. I believe that the right thing to do is to release him. Hopefully, that will be done soon.”
On the impact of Kanu’s detention on Enugu, Governor Mbah shared that the state has moved past the disruptions caused by the sit-at-home order, which mandated residents to remain indoors every Monday across the Southeast.
“We met a situation where people were compelled to stay at home every Monday. Now, people trade in Ogbete and other markets in peace on Mondays. Monday sit-at-home has ended in Enugu, as you (lawyers) can see. You can also move around and investigate,” he stated.
Currently, Kanu is on trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, facing terrorism charges, which he has denied.
Shifting focus to leadership and governance, Governor Mbah stressed that transformational leadership requires boldness and innovation.
“Our vision was to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, to reduce the poverty headcount to zero, and to make Enugu the preferred destination in Nigeria for business, for tourism, and for living. We imagined a state that, within eight years, would be completely unrecognisable from the one we inherited,” he explained.
He highlighted the critical role of security in achieving these ambitious goals, outlining the state’s investments in a technology-driven, intelligence-led security framework.
“None of our visions and targets would have been possible without security. So, from the outset, we built a tech-driven, intelligence-led security architecture anchored in our Command and Control Centre.”
“With round-the-clock AI surveillance across our neighbourhoods, integrated response units (DRS), and community partnership, Enugu has recorded an over 80 per cent reduction in violent crime. This stability is the bedrock upon which investment, jobs, and society can grow,” the governor elaborated.
Governor Mbah also highlighted his administration’s extensive development agenda, noting that over 2,000 projects are either ongoing or completed in sectors including health, roads, transport, agriculture, and education.
He defended allocating more than a third of the state’s budget to education, describing it as a crucial investment in human capital.
“We committed over 33 per cent of our budget to education, a decision some thought was reckless. But we knew it was essential. The real wealth of Enugu, now and in the future, rests on the quality of its human capital,” he concluded.
