By Odomero Igbodo
Governor Peter Mbah has rejected claims that his administration is overtaxing traders, businesses and property owners in Enugu State, attributing the growth in internally generated revenue to efforts to block revenue leakages and activate dormant government assets.
Mbah stated this during an appearance on Afia Television’s Meet the Candidates series at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, where he defended his administration’s tax policies and outlined its progress and plans across education, water supply, agriculture, infrastructure and security.
The governor said his administration had consolidated certain business-related charges into an annual payment of ₦36,000, arguing that the measure was designed to address complaints about multiple collections.
He also said the state had reduced land-use charges to ₦25,000 in cases where previous bills exceeded ₦100,000.
According to Mbah, some payments residents commonly describe as taxes are charges for services or business-related obligations.
He maintained that the increase in the state’s internally generated revenue was not evidence of excessive taxation but resulted from plugging leakages and putting dormant assets to productive use.
The governor further said cash collection was prohibited and that payments were required to be made into the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
His explanations represented the administration’s position on taxation; the programme did not independently establish how the charges were applied across all categories of businesses and property owners.
Mbah says Enugu has sufficient water production capacity
On water supply, Mbah said Enugu State had increased its daily water production capacity from about two million litres to 120 million litres, but acknowledged that distribution challenges continued to prevent the supply from reaching all parts of the metropolis.
The governor said the state attained the 120-million-litre capacity by the 180th day of his administration, adding that this exceeded the estimated daily requirement of 80 million litres for Enugu metropolis.
According to Mbah, the increase followed the procurement of major pumping equipment and the reactivation of the Ninth Mile water scheme, which he said had been dormant for years.
He attributed the remaining distribution difficulties to ageing and brittle pipelines, burst pipes, asbestos pipes and buildings constructed on pipeline rights of way.
Mbah said the administration had divided the city into about 14 zones to facilitate distribution works and had procured horizontal-drilling equipment to reduce the need to excavate roads.
He maintained that the state had sufficient production capacity, with a buffer of more than 50 per cent, but said connecting the supply to households remained the immediate challenge.
The governor acknowledged that his administration had previously committed to making water available in every household within 180 days. He said work was ongoing to address the distribution gaps but did not give a completion date for the outstanding projects during the programme.
Education: Governor cites 33 per cent budget allocation
On education, Mbah said his administration had allocated an average of 33 per cent of the state budget to the sector across its first three budget cycles, with the lowest allocation standing at 32 per cent.
He said the funding reflected the administration’s decision to prioritise education as part of its strategy to reduce poverty and equip young people with relevant skills.
The governor also outlined the Smart Green Schools initiative, saying it was intended to transform not only school infrastructure but also teaching methods and access to basic education.
Mbah said the programme provides early-childhood learning from age three and incorporates health services through school clinics staffed by registered nurses.
According to him, the clinics enable children’s health profiles, vaccination records, growth and nutritional status to be assessed.
He further said the state had introduced a system covering Basic 1 to Basic 9 in its Smart Green School locations, alongside what he described as 12 years of compulsory and free education.
Mbah said the policy covered school registration, uniforms, textbooks and notebooks, which he maintained were provided without charge to parents.
He also said the administration was shifting classroom instruction away from rote learning towards practical and experiential methods, with digital skills and facilities for robotics and artificial intelligence included in the programme.
Agriculture: Mbah outlines investment and expansion plans
On agriculture, Mbah said the state was pursuing private-sector partnerships and the rehabilitation of dormant agricultural assets to increase production and processing.
He cited a proposed investment of about ₦100 billion involving Enugu United Farm Products Limited and said more than 2,000 hectares of a plantation had been cultivated and were producing.
The governor also said the state had a database of more than 60,000 farmers cultivating over 80,000 hectares of land. He added that the government had distributed more than 60,000 bags of fertiliser free of charge, alongside other agricultural inputs intended to improve production.
Mbah said Enugu had identified more than 167,000 hectares as a land bank for commercial agriculture, which he attributed in part to communities making land available for farming and investment.
He further said the administration planned to establish 260 farm estates, each covering at least 200 hectares, and was developing an integrated livestock hub designed to accommodate more than 20,000 cattle.
According to the governor, the projects formed part of a broader strategy to expand mechanised farming, processing and agribusiness. The investment value, land figures and project targets were based on his account during the programme.
Roads: Mbah cites wet-season delays
On road construction, Mbah said rainfall had affected the pace of work, explaining that certain construction activities could not proceed during the wet season without compromising road quality.
The governor said several projects had been funded and contractors directed to return to work when conditions permitted. He argued that the limited dry-season window was important for carrying out work that could be undermined by persistent rainfall.
Mbah also said contractors would be required to correct defects in their work, warning that those who failed to meet the required standards could face blacklisting.
Amansiodo power project awaits further work
Addressing the proposed 660-megawatt coal-fired power plant at Amansiodo, Mbah said the project was being pursued through an investor-led arrangement, with equipment expected from China.
The governor indicated that further preparatory work, including civil works and access-road arrangements, remained necessary. He said the planned groundbreaking had been postponed from July because of the wet season.
Mbah presented the project as part of the state’s plans to expand its energy capacity.
Mbah defends defection to APC
On his move from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress,
Mbah said his primary allegiance remained with the people of Enugu State.
The governor argued that joining the ruling party at the federal level would help him serve the state more effectively by strengthening its connection with the Federal Government.
He also defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the administration’s decisions on foreign exchange and other macroeconomic policies were intended to stabilise the economy and create conditions for private investment and growth.
Mbah said he believed the reforms were moving the country in the right direction, citing what he described as improvements in macroeconomic indicators.
Security: Governor points to intelligence sharing
On security, Mbah said Enugu had benefited from closer cooperation with federal security agencies and greater intelligence sharing across the South-East.
He cited the state’s Distress Response Squad and command-and-control infrastructure, saying the establishment of the response squad had received approval from the Federal Government.
According to Mbah, his administration was working with the Army, Police, Department of State Services, Air Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to improve security coordination.
He also said regional collaboration had increased, although he acknowledged that such cooperation might not always be visible through a single physical command centre.
