By John Audu, Abuja.
In a highly publicized visit to Enugu State, President Bola Tinubu was welcomed by Governor Peter Mbah, who organized a commissioning ceremony for several projects. However, an investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed that many of these initiatives were either incomplete or lacked significant merit.
The event, which was celebrated by the state government, featured the commissioning of a re-asphalted junction and an unfinished Smart School building among the highlighted projects. Investigative findings indicate that aside from the International Conference Centre (ICC)—a project initiated by former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and only partially completed—there were few substantial accomplishments to showcase.
At the Government Technical College (GTC) in Enugu, where thousands of students were displaced for the construction of a Smart Green School, only one classroom block was finished, while the majority of the project remains under construction. Observers noted that patrol vehicles previously allocated to police and security agencies were temporarily recalled to the Government House for display during the presidential visit.
A source present at the commissioning remarked, “What is happening in Enugu is the more you look, the less you see. All the patrol vehicles shared to police and other security agencies were recalled to the Government House for the vainglory. At the GTC, only one block of classrooms was completed while several others are still under construction, yet he brought the president to commission it as a completed project.”
Governor Mbah’s administration has pledged significant investments in education, announcing plans to allocate “N100 billion for the construction of 200 Integrated Model Smart Schools” across the state. Additional funding of N146 billion has been earmarked for equipping these schools, along with N10.7 billion for upgrading public secondary schools to smart high schools.
Critics have voiced concerns over the portrayal of the state government’s achievements. Chief Raymond Nnaji, a former national auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed disappointment with the media’s coverage, suggesting that the press has become complacent or compromised. “It is dangerous for our democracy. The government is doing anything it likes, and the press amplifies it,” he stated, adding that the media should hold the government accountable for its actions.
In response to the criticism, the state government characterized the commissioning of the uncompleted GTC Smart Green School as “symbolic” and asserted that the resurfaced Bisala-New Heaven roads junction represented a broader initiative involving 90 resurfaced urban roads in Enugu City. Additionally, the government announced the commissioning of 150 patrol vehicles equipped with AI-embedded surveillance cameras at the Government House.
As the dust settles on President Tinubu’s visit, the question remains: how will the people of Enugu evaluate the efficacy of Governor Mbah’s administration in delivering tangible benefits to the state? Only time will tell if these symbolic gestures will translate into meaningful progress for the citizens of Enugu.
