Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has promised to look into the complaints of multiple taxation in the state by citizens of the state.
Mbah said this while answering questions from residents of the state at a quarterly town hall meeting held at the old government lodge Enugu, with the theme: “Governance issues: The Journey so far.”
The meeting attracted professional bodies, the business community, students, the political class, religious and traditional leaders among others.
Speaking, Mbah said the meeting was an affirmation of the document he signed on assumption of office, eighteen months ago.
He said: ”A year ago, I signed a document that literally made me accountable to the people of Enugu State.
“What we have gathered here to do is an affirmation of that document.”
The Governor said his target of growing the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) of the state from the current $4.4 to $30 billion would be achieved as expected.
He highlighted some of the projects his administration had executed and those being executed within his one year and six months in office, which include the construction of 260 Smart Green Schools in each political ward in the state, the construction of 260 Type 2 Primary Health Care Centers in 260 wards in the state, provision of potable water within 180 days of assumption of office, infrastructural development, electricity, tourism development, security, transportation among others.
On water, he explained that the state government had signed a partnership agreement with Watson Nestor company which has injected $100 million to help modernise the water scheme.
The Governor disclosed that while the company takes care of technical areas, the state government will take care of the production of water.
He disclosed that the company will replace the old pipes, take water to the door steps of the residents and provide meters. Governor Mbah explained that the payment (water rate) will be 20% less than what residents were spending on purchasing water .
On education, Governor Mbah said they budgeted 1/3 of the state’s annual budget to education and assured that they will continue to invest in education and shift from rote learning to experiential learning so that the children could compete with their counterparts abroad.
He announced that the state government will construct Smart Green senior secondary schools in the 17 Local Government areas of the state so that students after their junior secondary can proceed to the Smart senior secondary school to complete their secondary school education.
On security, the Governor said Enugu State remains the safest for foreign investors and Nigerians to do business, live and come to spend leisure time.
The Governor recounted the huge investments his administration made so far to secure lives and property, declaring that bandits and other criminals have known that the state will never be conducive for their activities anymore.
“As far as the country is concerned, Enugu State remains the most secured and safest state to invest and live in.
“Our security men are always on their best and working tirelessly day and night to make all parts of the state secure for all,” he said.
Governor Mbah said in the past 18 months, the state government had procured 100 Distress Response Squad (DRS) vehicles and mounted high-tech security cameras and other necessary gadgets on them to checkmate insecurity.
He said that the government had installed high-tech security cameras and search lights in various bus stops, junctions of high densely populated areas and intermittently along major highways in the state, which had been linked to a centralized monitoring system.
“The state government built and equipped its newly inaugurated Security Command and Control Centre.
“The Centre hosts the centralised monitoring system that links up all the high-tech security cameras on the roads, bus stops, populated areas and major highways as well as those mounted on the 100 DRS vehicles.
“With huge investment and driving security with latest technology, as found in other developed countries, bandits and other criminals know that Enugu State will never be conducive for them anymore,” he said.
Mbah said that the government was planning to provide more internal security vehicles for the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services; and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.
“It is the sacrifice you have put and your commitment that have continued to make the state the safest in the country,” he said.
The government also spoke on transportation and tourism among others.
