By Francis Ede,

Recently there have been an avalanche of criticism against our hard working Governor of Enugu State over his choice of multiple projects he is executing across the state within the little time he has been in office as ‘elitist’ by design or default.

Spurred by their morbid fear about Peter Mbah’s apparent grip on the electorate of Enugu State, the purveyors of puerile brand of propaganda are hoping to detach and disembark some of the uninformed from the fast moving train towards 2027 Governorship Election in the state.

These criticisms oscillate from the sublime to burlesque, and from the trivial to the pedantic and dogrel rooted in perverse interpretation of the Governor’s policies and actions.

While some others hide their own mischief in intellectual sophistry, and subterfuge but in the main all they are trying to do is to entrench public despair against a government that is doing all it could to salvage the people of Enugu State from poverty and underdelopment that have weighed us down, through a radical and revolutionary approach to governance.

Yet there are those who believe albeit spuriously, that they belong to the tribe of the champions of the adumbrate slogan of ‘let the poor breathe’.

Sure enough, the poor should breathe but so should the rich also breathe, after all, it is the same oxygen that both the rich and the poor thrive on. Our people were right when they say, ‘let the eagle perch and let the kite also perch: and whosever says no to the other let its wings break ‘.

But I can tell whomever cares to listen that Gov Peter Mbah cares for both the rich and the poor with equal love and dedication in his pursuit of the greatest number of goods for the greatest number of people.

He knows that both sides have equal stakes to the resources of the state, even when the poor because of the level of their needs and the deprivations associated with their low level of income will require all the sense of empathy, commitment, service and upliftment that they can get from the government, but the rich no matter the urgency of relief sought for the poor should not be undermined in any way.

Knowing this as a matter of fact, Gov Peter Ndubuisi Mbah the Governor of Enugu State has pursued with vigour and honesty of purpose the establishment of infrastructure and service delivery that carter to the needs of the rich and the poor alike.

A cursory glance at the achievements of Governor Peter Mbah’s administration in the last two years in office, his projects both completed and ongoing, and programmes instituted to ensure good governance will show to the unbiased observer that there is a deliberate intent to serve both the rich and the poor with equal commitment and dedication.

In fact, it is the resources of the rich that is being mobilized through tax, tariff, levies and through PPP i.e Public Private Partnership to build or renovate new industries and old ones like the Niger Gas Plant, Emene or the Sunrise Flour Mill, amongst others so that our children should be gainfully employed.

Take Security of lives and property for an instance which has been a major plank of this administration’s remarkable achievements.

Even the cynics would readily agree that the level of insecurity and violence in Enugu State before the coming into office of Governor Peter Mbah was of a frightening dimension made more grave by thge Monday Sit at Home with its strict enforcement by a highly mobile, highly diffused group with the masked name of ‘Unknown gun men ‘.

That His Excellency, Barr Peter Mbah was able to stop Sit at Home that was crippling both government and private businesses in the state with its attendant loss of lives and property of the people of Enugu State and our visitors alike, with quick dispatch was a delight to both the rich and the poor and commendations have trailed such uncommon achievements from people even beyond the state.

The issue of herders/ farmers clash or invasion of Fulani herdsmen on farm lands and settlements that decimated the population of Isi -Uzo LGA, Uzo- Uwani LGA and other parts of the state is almost becoming a thing of the past.

That is also true with massive kidnapping of people on such routes like Ugwogo/ Opi road and other major roads in the state. Now such incidents have been tacticaly controlled to the joy of all.

Meanwhile, the government has since gone ahead to strengthen coordination among the security agencies in the state, police, DSS, military and local vigilantes through joint task forces and integrated operations.

It also went further to procure AI embedded surveillance cars equipped with facial and license plate recognition, GPS tracking and life feed transmission to the Command Center.

When Enugu State Government under Gov Peter Mbah forced the the EDDC now known as Main Power Electricity Distribution Limited to bring down its consumption tariff to the people of Enugu State, it is to the benefit of both the rich and the poor.

And this has helped to increase production for both Medium and Small Scale Industries and bigger industries and even in the use of appliances in our homes both in townships and rural areas.

And when the State Government boosted the rate of pipe born water available to the people of Enugu State from 5,000 to 120,000,000 cubic meters, it is so that there would be water for all, the rich and the poor inclusive.

Let the rich enjoy alluring ambiance of wonderful state of the art International Conference Center, Enugu, the 5 Star hotels, Hotel Presidential, Nike Lake Hotel and the International Conference Center Hotel, the Enugu Airline with its brand new planes, the 5 Star Hospital at Rangers Avenue, let them bring us increased tourism and increased revenue.

But let the poor both in the townships and rural areas enjoy the benefits of the Smart Green Schools with its state of the art equipments and cosy environment for learning, free tuition fees, free meals, digital learning and global technology skills.

Let the poor also enjoy the new bus terminals across the state with its multipling business effects and let them enjoy the brand new 100 CNG ultramodern buses procured and distributed by the State Government cutting transport costs by up to 30% and creating jobs.

Let the poor also enjoy the type 2 Smart Primary Healthcare Centers that are being built and equipped simultaneously across the 260 wards in Enugu State that will incorporate overall healthcare service delivery to our people.

In the midst of all of this, let the poor also enjoy the Smart Farms and Smart Farm Estates in all the 260 Wards in Enugu State and let them also enjoy the distribution of farming inputs by governments to farmers across the state, while not excluding the benefits of the established 15 Aggregation and cottage processing centers for rice, cashew, and poultry, reducing post harvest losses and increasing farmers incomes.

It would be trite to argue that both the rich and poor are benefiting from the 293 roads built and rehabilitated across the state, improving connectivity, reducing travel time and supporting socio -economic activities.
These are the realities on the ground, and facts and truth are not partisan.

Tomorrow Is Here.

The Federal Government has filed a five-count charge against Omoyele Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters, over a social media post deemed false and inciting, allegedly targeting President Bola Tinubu.

Court documents reveal that the post, shared via Sowore’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account on August 25, accused President Tinubu of making misleading claims during a public appearance in Brazil.

The controversial post read:
“This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

The charge, filed under Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2024, alleges that the post was intended to provoke public disorder and erode confidence in the presidency.

It was reportedly made within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

In a rare legal move, global social media platforms X Corporation and Meta Platforms Inc. (owners of Facebook) have also been listed as co-defendants alongside Sowore in the case.

According to government prosecutors, the defendants’ actions were “calculated to cause a breakdown of law and order” and incite public unrest.

Sources within the Federal Ministry of Justice, quoted by Channels TV, indicate that Sowore’s arraignment will take place in Abuja in the coming days.

A formal court date is expected to be announced soon.

As of the time of reporting Sowore and his legal team have not issued any public response to the charges neither X Corporation nor Meta has commented on their involvement in the legal proceedings.

By Justice Chidi

Enugu, once the beating industrial heart of Eastern Nigeria, bears scars that tell of broken promises and abandonment. Names that once stood for livelihoods, pride, history and local industry have for decades been forgotten in the dusty archives of existence.

Places like Sunrise Flour Mills, Hotel Presidential, Nigergas, United Palm Products Ltd are more than just abandoned buildings: they are symbols of aspirations, blueprints of hope and echoes of tomorrow left in the dark.

Sunrise Flour Mills, for instance, commissioned in the early 1980s, was meant to anchor local grain processing, reduce dependence on imported flour, and feed families. By the mid‑1980s, the machinery grew quiet; by the 2000s, its gates got rusted, and its silos overgrown by the weed of negligence.

And this wasn’t just about Sunrise. Similar stories played out: industries built with promise decayed under wrong policies or lack of vision. Facilities were either transferred, sold off, litigated over, or simply left to the weeds.

But in the decay, there remained memories: old photographs, testimonies, the stories grandparents told of a time when Enugu didn’t have to plead for oxygen, when “made in Enugu” meant more than the raw stones, but the finished steel, the packaged flour, and the hotel guests. As years passed by, these beautiful memories continued to fade into mere whispers of aborted aspirations.

When Governor Mbah came into office, he carried two intertwined promises: first, to restore Enugu’s dormant assets; second, to remake Enugu’s economy. The boldness of his manifesto, aiming to grow Enugu’s GDP from around US$4.4 billion to US$30 billion in a few years, would have seemed utopian to some, and rightly so.

But what broke through was the practical commitments: a framework of public‑private partnerships, legal claims to assets long held by others, revamping of facilities, and policies that showed seriousness

Mba did not start by speeches alone; moves were made. For instance, in April 2024, 14 properties forfeited to the EFCC were handed over to the state, some real estate, medical facilities, and transmission equipment. What had lain in bureaucratic and legal limbo since the 2000s was reclaimed.

Some of the most powerful moments in this war on dormant assets are already visible. Nigergas Company Limited: Established in 1962, built in the Okpara era had been silent for over three decades.

Today, under Mbah, it has been revamped to produce medical and industrial gases with capacity upgrades; it plans to branch into nitrogen, argon, CNG, CO₂. What this means is more than gas: shorter supply chains for hospitals, less cost for workshops, jobs, and revival of a sleeping industry.

The name, Sunrise Flour Mills, evokes memories of productivity, but for 39 years, it lay fallow, dormant, and deserted. Today, the Mba government has injected billions into it to get machinery working, and in parallel with establishing farmland to supply raw materials. This is an attempt not just to reopen a mill but to rebuild an agro-ecosystem that will catalyse farm inputs, processing, and distribution.

United Palm Products Ltd (UPPL) is yet another legacy industry. It has equally had a feel of the Mba midas touch. The revamp here involves private sector engagement and a plan that spans upstream, midstream, and the downstream srctors. The revival promises thousands of jobs for the teeming Enugu youths.

Hotel Presidential and International Conference Centre are heritage landmarks, once symbols of sophistication, hospitality, and state pride. They, too, have been resurrected by a wave of Governor Mba’s magic wand. The idea is not just about physical restoration of structures but about rewriting Enugu’s global profile.

These revivals are not just about buildings and factories, neither are they about political showpieces. For a young person in Enugu East or Nsukka whose parents once worked at Sunrise or UPPL, this revival means the possibility of a job without migration, a future without flickering dreams.

For hospitals currently reliant on distant oxygen suppliers, having Nigergas produce oxygen locally isn’t just cost saving. It could mean saved lives, especially in crises.

For youths in tourism, hospitality, and arts, Hotel Presidential and Internatonal Conference Centre are not just venues, platforms, and stages. They’re symbols of hope, power, and opportunity made possible through the ingenuity of a thinking government.

From the foregoing, it’s obvious that the governor understands that the ghosts of past decays are painful, but they also teach us that the easiest way to break will is to let things rot; that the strongest way to build is to restore what was lost, sharpen it, and make it live again.

The war against dormant assets in Enugu State is more than a bureaucratic project; it is a moral, economic, and cultural undertaking. Under Governor Mba, the dormant halls are being heard again; the mills, the gas plants, the conference halls, the forfeited properties—they are being turned back into instruments of life: of employment, health, and pride.

There is pride when a state reclaims its heritage. With the way the governor is going: reclaiming the forgotten, placing value on public assets, enabling private actors to partner rather than just privatizing in one direction, Enugu may well become a case study of how sub‑national African governance can resurrect, repurpose and reindustrialize without losing heritage.

Business magnate Femi Otedola has instructed his legal team to file a ₦1 billion libel suit against Umar Sani, who formerly served as spokesperson to ex‑Vice President Namadi Sambo.

In a public statement, Otedola said he is taking action due to what he described as “deliberate lies and unfounded allegations,” stressing that reputations should not be “toyed with for cheap propaganda.”

He vowed to pursue the case “to every extent” to deter similar mischief in the future.

Sani had accused Otedola of benefiting from Nigeria’s petroleum subsidy regime, alleging that Otedola’s company, Zenon Petroleum & Gas Ltd, paid marked money to Farouk Lawan under the guise of a sting operation.

Their dispute escalated when Otedola intervened in the ongoing conflict between Dangote Refinery and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), urging marketers to adapt to changing realities.

Otedola further claimed that approximately ₦2 trillion was misappropriated in fuel subsidy claims during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration (2009–2015).

He called on the Federal Government to make the full report on subsidy claims public.

In response, Sani accused Otedola of posturing as morally superior amid the DAPPMAN‑Dangote controversy. Otedola countered the allegation, accusing Sani of attempting to “rewrite history with distorted facts” and dragging his name “into disrepute.”

He challenged his critics to read his recently published book Making It Big, and “study the facts,” urging them to stop embarrassing themselves with baseless claims.

“I have nothing to hide,” Otedola declared, “and I will not allow falsehoods to be written into history.”