Former lawmaker in Enugu, Mr Nwabueze Ugwu has urged the incoming members of the Enugu State House of Assembly to partner Governor-elect, Dr Peter Mbah, to achieve rapid transformation of the state.
Ugwu, a legal luminary, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Saturday.
The call came ahead of the May 29 inauguration of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led executive and a Labour Party dominated legislature in Enugu.
Ugwu said: “It is true that the opposition in Enugu State controls the greater percentage of the legislature in Enugu State.
“But that notwithstanding, I expect the Enugu State House of Assembly (ESHA) when it is inaugurated to work harmoniously with Peter Mbah, the incoming governor and his team.
“The Assembly should place the state first and be well advised that we are having another Peter Obi in Enugu State in the person of Peter Mbah,” he advised.
He stressed that the legislature should caution themselves about what happened in Anambra during the days of Peter Obi and not work in opposite direction with other arms of the same government.
According to Ugwu, the incoming Assembly members have an opportunity to make history as Obi did in Anambra after he was twice impeached and twice returned by the courts.
“At the end of the day the man, Obi, had a name that is larger than himself and anything that you can think of,” he said.
He noted that the experience made Obi to break an electoral record in the last Presidential polls in Nigeria whereby so many presumed he was victorious.
“I expect that the incoming legislature in Enugu will learn one or two lessons from that. That you can’t stop a thing which time has come.
“It is the time of Enugu State to shine as far as governance is concerned and nobody should be a stumbling block to what is coming to the state.
“It is time for them to cooperate with the administration of Peter Mbah and make sure that things move beautifully.
Ugwu, however, advised them not to listen to anyone that would ask them to fight or impeach Mbah or make sure that he did not work.
“Anybody telling you that, is deceiving you, and I expect that everyone should be careful and know that impunity is no longer condoned in Nigeria and that everyone will surely answer for whatever one does.
“Anyone who is deceived to fight Mbah will do so at his own peril and will sooner say ‘had I known’, ” the lawmaker added.
Ugwu expressed optimism that the state would witness a lot of changes in the new dispensation.
According to him Mbah’s promise to restore water supply to every household in Enugu city in six months is both exciting and possible.
He hailed the governor-elect’s mantra of “Tomorrow is here” as itemized in his manifesto as comprehensive.
He commended his plans for education, tourism, ICT, industrialisation, security and zero employment as germain.
“I am sure that by the time he is done with governance, Enugu people will comfortably thump their chests and say we have again had a governor.
He acknowledged the pre-election endorsement of Mbah by former Gov. Sullivan Chime and called on those who were not on his side during the elections to have a rethink and embrace his administration.
“All persons who contested for governor in Enugu State were produced by PDP.
I know that Mbah will not discriminate in giving out developmental infrastructure to communities.
“Our citizens should rally round him so that in the next four years the state will be better.” We
NAN reports that Ugwu was a governorship aspirant in the March general elections under the PDP.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria