Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The newly-inaugurated Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and demanded the release of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Mbah who addressed State House Correspondents after the meeting with the President, Thursday in Aso Rock, said they also discussed other issues pertinent to the people of Enugu.
The meeting is coming four days after the Governor ordered an end to the Monday sit-at-home being observed in South-East to protest Kanu’s continued detention by the Department of State Services, DSS, despite various court orders to release him unconditionally.
Mbah who described the meeting as heartwarming, said collaboration with the Government at the centre was crucial to realising his administration’s agenda.
He said that issues boarding on economy, infrastructure, security, and activation of dormant assets were discussed during the meeting.
On Kanu’s continued detention, Gov. Mbah said time had come for the new President to kick start national healing and reconciliation by freeing Kanu and other political prisoners.
Mbah said Kanu is a major factor in the South-East, and that releasing him in compliance with court judgments would help restore peace in the region.
“I came and frankly I brought to the President, the warm greetings and best wishes from the government and the people of Enugu State.
“But, above all, you may also know already that we made massive campaign promises to the people of Enugu. And we also have expressed humongous vision. We’ve taken a bold view of what the new government could achieve in the next four years, in terms of growing our economy from the current levels to $30 billion. And one of our core governance philosophies is to collaborate and to have partnership; and we have identified the Federal Government as our core partner.”
The Governor who said Enugu is endowed with huge natural resources expressed readiness to partner the Federal Government in exploring them.
“A lot of people do not know, but we have huge mineral resources in Enugu State. And these resources are sitting under our ground, not being productive. So, we believe with the partnership we’re trying to build with the Federal Government, we’re able to transform these assets into productive assets.
“Of course, you know that the growth level we have proposed is one that is going to be driven by the private sector and private sector wants the ease of doing business; and one of the core indicators of the ease of doing business is security and infrastructure. So, we also had that conversation with Mr. President.
“And finally, we also talked about the release of Nnamdi Kanu. You know, that the South-East has made a collective demand to have Nnamdi Kanu released. And we basically identified with that and request Mr. President, who in his inaugural address promised the people that he’s going to engender national healing and he’s going to serve with compassion.
“So we’ve basically informed him that this would serve as a pointer to his administration’s extension of hands of fellowship to Ndigbo,” he said.
Mbah also said that Enugu would witness rapid transformation under his watch.
