By Okenwa Aniegbu

Peter Mbah’s Manifesto reads like a funeral oration for the burial of Enugu State. At best, Mbah’s manifesto is a confetti of lies. At worst, it is a mish-mash of inchoate and poorly chewed promises, outright falsehoods and irritating glib talk. If that document released last Thursday represents Mbah’s dreams for Enugu State, then he has metaphorically rolled out the burial mat for the final interment of the state that has been figuratively choked to death in the grip of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Presented with so much noise and fanfare, Peter Mbah’s Manifesto is a great example of how not to prepare for public office. The sixty-one-page booklet is a wish-list of incongruencies, doublespeak and unlikelihood. In it, Mbah tells us that his strategic objectives are to offer Enugu people peace and security, inclusive economic development and sustainable prosperity.

Mbah’s strategic objectives are hoary, illusionary and annoying. For one, peace cannot be a strategic objective. Is Enugu known for war? Peace is a direct result of deliberate and conscientious actions over time. And well; promising Ndi Enugu that you would give them peace is akin to promising them a gift of coal. They find it annoying. Enugu has more coal than she needs. In much the same way, Enugu has always been peaceful. The only time peace eluded Enugu was when Mbah and his Ebeano godfather were in power. They made Enugu sleep with one eye open. And now, they are plotting their way back and promising Enugu peace. What manner of peace can come from them?

Beside tawdry promises, Mbah’s manifesto is tragically flawed by utter lack of big ideas. It has nothing aspirational… no beacons to guide Enugu into a shimmering 21st Century. Only a rehash of the mundane. Pray, what is Inclusive Economic Development? What is Sustainable Prosperity? These are watery development cliches that have been floating around for decades without ever finding roots in any serious economy. They are proof that Mbah lacks imagination and originality. And sadly, his handlers have no gift to lift him beyond the morass of ordinariness.

Mbah’s manifesto is broken down into four broad categories. They are Economic Transformation Objectives, Rural and Urban Infrastructure, Inclusive and Transparent Governance and finally, Cross-cutting Programmes and Social Services. Under these headings, Mbah offers us a diet of the usual banalities from a typical Nigerian politician. There’s not a hint of sparkle. Not a spark of profundity. Just a load of bluster and poppycock.

A thread of emptiness, lack of deep reflection and originality runs through the entire gamut of the document. For instance, on page 28, Mbah’s concern about infrastructural development was reduced to assurances of providing road signs and markings and the installation of streetlights. Imagine that! But wait for this. On page 29, Mbah promised to provide inland waterway services in Enugu. Waterway services in Enugu? Not only does that sound ridiculous, it also sounds embarrassing. Mbah has presented himself as a classic case of the dishonest politician who promises to build bridges where there are no rivers. And we shall remind him of this with our votes!

And as if that were not enough, Mbah makes yet another infuriating promise of growing Enugu’s GDP from $1.4billion to $30bn in eight years. He must be a miracle worker. But then again, he fails to provide the roadmap to realizing that. Pray, is Mbah talking about a different state or the same Enugu that has been dragged to her knees by the regime that gave him his ticket? Is it the same Enugu that is now the 3rd poorest state in Nigeria? Tufiakwa!

A most annoying feature of Mbah’s manifesto is its obvious lack of substance. It is plagued with boring generalities and tiresome repetitions. His so-called Governing Philosophy on page 10 is boringly repeated on page 11. And what is Mbah’s governing philosophy, by the way? “Seamless and periodic sharing of information on policies, programmes and projects.” Such inanity! And just when you would have hoped for something conceptual, deep and inspiring, you suddenly realise that the segment is suffused with minutiae of everyday operations of government. Pathetic!

And then, this; Mbah’s manifesto has no Mission or Vision Statements. Yes. It has none. So, Mbah’s government will be like a creaky old vehicle galloping through potholes at night without headlamps. The end is predictable misery. In fact, it is doubtful that Mbah and his handlers are fully aware of the importance of clearly defined and measurable vision and mission in 21st Century governance. And even if they do, why would Mbah bother when he conceitedly believes that he has bought his way to the state house?

But that is not even ridiculous enough. What would make even the most irredeemable liar cringe is Mbah’s promise to build 10,000 kilometers of roads. However, the real embarrassment is that Mbah relishes living in the bubble of his own outrageous lies. For instance, he has come out to defend his absurd promise to build 10,000 km of roads when experts reminded him that Enugu was too small to accommodate even half of that length of roads. And in spite of the fact that it is a globally accepted belief that governments should not be directly involved in running businesses, Mbah has assured Ndi Enugu that he would build a vehicle manufacturing plant in Enugu through a special scheme known as Enugu Automotive Initiative. Lies! He also promised to build a 5-Star hotel that would stand out as the first in South East and South South. More lies! And these are not an intelligent lies, by the way. It is a brazen show of arrogance. An attitude that says “what can you do if you notice that I lied to you?”

Going further, Mbah’s plan for ICT hangs in the air. The entire booklet is rather vague; throwing up so many industry jargons to confuse the unwary reader. Mbah appeared confused himself when he promised to build a STEM High school in each of the three senatorial zones of the state. The question is, where does he place all the Special Science Schools that have been filling that gap for decades? A better strategy should be to strengthen them and bring them up to speed with evolutionary trends in the industry. Would setting up a STEM High school not amount to a costly duplication of efforts?

And if you think you have heard the last of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s pathetic lack of depth, wait until you realize that his entire manifesto says nothing worth paying attention to with regards to the debilitating water challenge in Enugu. Evidently, Mbah is not high minded enough to consider Enugu’s water challenge a crucial item on the agenda of political campaigns.

In conclusion, it is regrettable that someone as poorly prepared for leadership as Peter Mbah is being foisted on Enugu State. It will be tragic to allow that happen! Mbah’s manifesto is entitled "Tomorrow is Here." May Mbah’s tomorrow never come!

Peter Mbah, mbah!

PDP has been a big disappointment in Enugu in the past 8 years. The noise could have been louder if it was to be an APC government.

Say mba to Mba