Blueprint.ng correspondent from Enugu writes that with the uncommon achievement of the current Enugu state governor, Dr Peter Ndubisi Mbah, his re-election in the governorship polls next year will be a mere walkover 

Need to give honour to whom it is due

One thing Nigerians complain about is that political leaders are being unduly praised for doing what they are supposed to do as elected leaders and this is why some of them do not give the citizens the required democracy dividends. 

Many believe that when the president, governors and local government chairmen build roads, provide electricity, construct airports and security posts, the common belief is that they are doing what they are elected to do and should not be praised.  

Another school of thought hold that though political leaders should not be praised for doing what they are elected to do but when they are doing right, even if they are not to be praised, at least, it should be pointed out that they are going the right direction.   

The justification is that if one is not told that he is going on the right direction, it would be difficult for one know that one is on the right path.  

The common wisdom that it is good to pat a worker on the back to enable him do more, becomes very apt, as constant criticisms can be  discouraging and destructive.

However, it is also a common belief that continuous praises is capable of making one to derail and lose focus, but occasional praises does not do any harm to any sensible leader that is doing what is beneficial to the people, hence the need to apply caution. 

On the other hand, continuous condemnation is capable of creating chaos in the mind of a leader and it is capable of making a leader to lose focus and be in a quandary. Thus striking a balance or applying moderation is advisable.

Good enough, some individuals, groups and organisations have discovered that it is good occasionally to appreciate a leader to enable him to do more, not necessarily to get something from the leader but to let the leader know that he is toeing the right direction and should not deviate from it. 

Why Mbah deserves ‘Politician of the Year Award.’

This is exactly what the Blueprint Newspaper is about to do on August 18, 2026 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.

On that day, the executive governor of Enugu state, Mr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, and some other governors will be honoured with meritorious awards for their sterling qualities and their ability to affect lives within a given period that have been on the saddle as the governors of their respective states.

The Blueprint Management has deemed it fit to give Governor Mbah the Newspaper’s 2025 Politician of the Year (Fiscal Responsibility and Digital Transformation) award. The forthcoming award is based on Mbah’s administration’s bold recalibration of governance in Enugu state which is defined by rapid budget expansion, ambitious infrastructure rollout, digital governance systems and a clearly articulated economic growth trajectory.

Any person who has not been to Enugu state in the past three years may not understand what the Blueprint Newspaper management saw that prompted the award.

Within three years in office, Governor Mbah has done a lot of transformation to government offices, which services are mostly digitalised, that obtaining documents and information about government programmes and policies are no longer a herculean task.  

In the Ministry of Lands for instance, their operations have been digitalised that, occasionally within hours, one can get Certificate of Occupancy, +C of O and other landed property authorisation without waiting for months. In the same vein, the tax regime, under the Enugu State Board Internal Revenue Service has also been digitalised with the aim to check double and arbitrary taxation.

Away from digitalising government services, Mbah-led administration seems to have fared more in education. Because of the interest Mbah administration has shown in education, the government built 260 Smart and Green Schools in the 260 wards that made up the 17 local government areas of the state.  

It did not just end in building structures but the Smart Schools are equipped with scientific gadgets such as computers and electronic boards. This is meant to train the children early in the digital world so that when they go out, they will be able to compete with their peers anywhere in the world and will not feel inferior.

Since the commencement of his administration on May 29, 2023, Gov. Mbah has never left any one in doubt that he meant his campaign slogan that, “Tomorrow is Here,” meaning that the government is futuristic and is planning ahead for the betterment of the state by laying solid and enduring foundation for posterity.

One of his Champaign promises is to raise the revenue base of the people by increasing the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, from 4.5 billion Dollars to 30 billion Dollars in eight years.  At different fora, especially while reading out new budgets, he said that people saw it too ambitious that he intends to increase the GDP of the state.  

He said that people wondered how he would achieve such tall ambition but he has said that it is feasible but laying solid foundation. This he has started by improving the tax system, rebuilding moribund industries and looking inwards into other revenue sources to augment the Federal Allocation accruing to the state like the coal mining and opening up tax avenues that were hitherto untapped. Thus, the state could be revamped economically.

It is not only the Blueprint Newspapers that have seen Mbah’s development drive in Enugu State.  Other newspaper organisations have noticed Mbah’s development drive and  at different occasions have bestowed different awards on him. 

Communities and organisations are equally hailing Governor Mbah for the transformation taking place in Enugu state. To show that they are aligning with Mbah’s transformation agenda, many communities have sworn that come 2027, they will vote for Gov. Mbah to continue with good works.

Virtually, every community and every local government has endorsed Mbah for a second term in office. They organised rallies, often called mega rallies, to show solidarity to Gov. Mbah.  

At a state, the entire Enugu East Senatorial Zone endorsed Mbah as their sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election, advising their sons and daughters nursing governorship ambitions to shelve their ambition to allow Mbah to finish the good works he has started.

Prominent among Enugu East Senatorial Zone indigenes that came out to endorse Gov. Mbah include the former governor of the old Anambra state, Senator Jim Nwobodo, former Senate President Ken Nnamani and Senator Kevin Chukwu, representing Enugu East Senatorial District at the Red Chambers.

As the Enugu East senatorial zone is busy endorsing Mbah, Enugu North and Enugu West have equally said that Mbah is the man for 2027 because as the saying goes in Enugu state of recent, Mbah’s work is showing. And because Mbah’s work is showing, it is a given that come 2027, Mbah will be returned to the Lion Building.  

This is because his fiscal responsibility and digital transformation in the state is appreciated, just as the Blueprint management has noticed, hence the ‘Politician of the Year Award.’