Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has inaugurated 68 Development Centre Administrators and members, urging them to strengthen grassroots governance, communicate government policies effectively and ensure development projects reach communities across the state.
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has inaugurated 68 newly appointed Development Centre Administrators and members, charging them to prioritise grassroots governance and ensure effective communication of government policies, programmes and projects across the state.
Mbah gave the charge on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, where he reminded the appointees that their oath of office represented a social contract and a commitment to serve the people with integrity.
He described Development Centres as a critical component of his administration’s governance structure, noting that they provided the closest link between government and residents at the grassroots.
“Government is about the people, and we do not have an arm of government that is closer to the people than the Development Centres,” he said.
The governor explained that the appointees were expected to take government policies, programmes and projects closer to communities, particularly women, families and other grassroots populations, while complementing rather than replacing the statutory responsibilities of local governments.
He urged them to work closely with their respective local government chairmen to ensure that government interventions and development initiatives reached their intended beneficiaries.
Mbah further tasked the 68 administrators with understanding government policies at both state and local government levels and effectively communicating their benefits to residents, especially those in rural communities.
Using investments in Smart Green Schools and Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres as examples, the governor said the appointees must go beyond announcing government projects to explaining their practical benefits to residents.
He urged them to educate communities on how modern healthcare facilities would help reduce maternal and child mortality, improve childhood immunisation and expand access to essential medical services.
He also called for increased public awareness of government interventions in water supply, environmental sanitation and the campaign to make Enugu an open-defecation-free state.
“I want you to carry the energy and zest I see in you to our communities. Carry the energy to your various homes and communities,” he charged.
On political engagement, Mbah urged the appointees to communicate his administration’s achievements and policies to the electorate, while challenging opposition politicians to present their programmes and records in governance.
He disclosed that his administration would take its campaign and performance assessment engagements to the various Development Centres to showcase projects and achievements across communities and wards.
“Our campaign is going to be at the different Development Centres. We are going to go to all our Development Centres to point out to Ndi Enugu what we have done, not just at the Development Centre level, but even at the wards and our communities,” he said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to its 10,000-kilometre road development target, adding that significant progress had also been recorded in tourism, transportation and other sectors.
He also expressed satisfaction with the payment of gratuities to retired workers, noting that the intervention was being implemented at both state and local government levels.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Frank Anioma, described the inauguration as another demonstration of Mbah’s commitment to strengthening grassroots administration and development.
Anioma urged the appointees to mobilise grassroots support for the governor’s re-election bid in their respective Development Centres.
Responding on behalf of the appointees, an Administrator from Enugu North, Kenechukwu Ikenegbu, thanked the governor for the appointments and pledged their commitment to advancing the administration’s development agenda.
He described the appointees as representatives of the governor in their respective communities, promising sustained engagement and door-to-door mobilisation to communicate the administration’s achievements to residents.
Ikenegbu also pledged their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates in the forthcoming elections, assuring that they would intensify grassroots mobilisation across the state.
Speaking with journalists, the Administrator of Nkanu East South Development Centre, Hon. Emmanuel Edeh, said the governor’s administration had recorded more than 10,000 verifiable milestones, providing the appointees with achievements to present to the electorate.
The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Osinachi Nnajieze.
It was attended by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu; APC State Chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunwike; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia; local government chairmen; members of the State Executive Council; party leaders and other stakeholders.
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