By Martins Chiedozie
In the Harvard Business Review, the co-founder of Fast Company and the author of Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways, Bill Taylor wrote, “The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action – an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign – even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo.
In other words, real leaders are happy to zag while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.”
For decades, political leaders in our country were comfortable with strategies and practices that kept them in the middle of the road where everybody would see them and not where everybody would benefit and it looks like some person seems to be interested in or expecting white elephant projects or what I will describe here as a dangerous quick fix. This is not the style of the current administration of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
However, in the new world of innovation, with so much change, so much pressure, and so many new ways to do just about everything, the masses now understand very well that the middle of the road has become the road to nowhere. The masses no longer need those white elephant projects that only keep the leaders in the middle of the road or on the television screen. Like Jim Hightower, the colourful Texas populist, is fond of saying, “There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos” even as they play by the same old rules in a crowded marketplace.
So it’s laughable, ridiculous and preposterous for anyone to begin to compare the current administration in Enugu state with any other new administration in the country at this stage. What some people need to understand is that development thinking is always accompanied by development planning which involves the specification of the strategies, programs, policies which are necessary to realize the target vision. Great leaders they say don’t compete, instead, they forge their category and become a category of one. In Enugu state today, His Excellency Dr. Peter Mbah is laying the foundation for unprecedented development in the state. And because security is fundamental to people’s livelihoods, reducing poverty and achieving economic prosperity, the current security arrangement like never before in the state is a reflection of his resolve to make Enugu state the most peaceful and safest state in the country.
The commencement of the refurbishment of at least 260 Primary Health Care Centres in the State to help ensure access to quality healthcare means Dr Peter Mbah is laying a solid foundation for a healthy state.
The construction of 260 model basic schools across the 260 political wards in the State also means we are on the path to prosperity and assured future.
The state’s readiness to begin the construction of 81 urban roads across the State and at least 2 fly-over bridges at Abakpa and Holy Ghost-Ogbete-Old Park axis will convince you that Dr Peter Mbah means business for Ndi Enugu.
The commencement of the production of over 25 million litres of water daily at the Ninth Mile location proves to the satisfaction that water challenges will soon be a thing of the past in the state.
The formation of the Enugu State Agricultural Land Bank where the state government plans to ultimately set aside up to 300,000 hectares of land for agricultural use is evidence that Enugu will soon become self-sufficient in food production
The recently signed into law, the Enugu State Power law, which domesticates the Electricity Act 2023 which gives the State regulatory power to establish an Enugu State Electricity Market will automatically open the state for unprecedented investment, job creation and poverty reduction.
These and other ongoing reforms and steps are proof that indeed Our Tomorrow is Here in Enugu state and a clear reflection of a leader with a vision. One who is not in a rush to achieve cheap popularity or political points. This is evidenced by his leadership trait of being able to plan for the future through concrete and quantifiable reforms that are already setting the state of Enugu on the path of advancement. The Executive Governor of Enugu state, His Excellency Dr Peter Mbah understands the need for continuous change and is open to trying new approaches to solve problems or improve processes. It’s often said that the man who successfully marshals his human collaborators to achieve particular ends is the ideal leader, so His Excellency, Dr Peter Mbah is not just an ideal leader, his vision and readiness to transform the state is unrivaled.
So what we are required to do as good citizens irrespective of party or religious affiliation is to continue to show our maximum support to the administration so that the administration will continue to deliver the historical transformation of the state to a greater height.
Martins Chiedozie Ugwu
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