WHEN THE CAP RIGHTLY FITS, A DREAM IS ACHIEVED.

WHEN THE CAP RIGHTLY FITS, A DREAM IS ACHIEVED.

©️ Onyekachi C Ugwu 

Whereas we are condemned to respect the preferences of those opposed to the Choice of Peter Mbah to win the forthcoming Governorship election in Enugu State, we are more deeply condemned not to allow those opposed to his candidacy inject their disregard for antecedents as leading parameter for determining who the cap fits. We are further concerned that only yesterday, same people sang songs, eulogised antecedents and glorified achievements; private and public but today are themselves the virulent campaigners against what they believed yesterday. Their duplicity is alarming and we must reject same early enough if we must engage in sane pursuit of quality leadership in Enugu State. 

Shall we not be justified to hold that "if past records; antecedents do not matter, then nothing matters"? I trust that  no one can fault this tacit conclusion, except perhaps, naysayers who see nothing good even with the breath they inhale. 

Antecedent is an instructive history and history remains an important backdrop upon which past records and exemplar achievements of men and women who aspire to high offices are beamed for the enquiring mind to see and make lucid judgments. Yes, we can't ignore antecedents of those aspiring to lead Enugu State in the 21st century, more so now that there is a tacit outcry against what has been dubbed as "Ojebegocracy". A simplified definition of "Ojebegocracy" is "the election of people into high offices of Leadership without consideration for what they are bringing on the table or record of their past achievements, but simply because some political stakeholders have decided". 

"Ojebegocracy" therefore is contemplated from the prism of poor leadership recruitment which models the past and present failures of our democratic experience. This takes me back to an argument I had canvassed in one of my many radio programmes that the Trouble with Nigeria is not Leadership as our Icon late Chinua Achebe pictured it. Yes, I insisted that arguing that the Trouble with Nigeria is Leadership is like putting the cart before the horse, being that "those who are elected to exercise leadership are first recruited before being elected". Viewed against this backdrop, the Trouble with Nigeria is Leadership recruitment. How are those who exercise leadership recruited? Are there any parameters employed to determine who is recruited to man our affairs? Of course no. It all boils down to "Ojebegocracy" which today is acknowledged as the bane of our national leadership. 

To therefore remodel our leadership recruitment drive, we must look at the antecedents of those aspiring to lead and by so doing cancel out of our barest consideration any act of Ojebegocracy. 

The Almighty God perhaps was guiding us with the example of David and his ascension to the Kingly throne of Israel.. David was not chosen King without record of bravado. Prior to being made king, story had it that he chased a wolf that had made away with one of his flocks, caught it, rescued the lamb and smote the wolf. God knew of the bravado of that scraggy looking shepherd boy before chosing him over and above the Giant Eliab with six packs. David went on to kill Goliath, the troubler of Israel ahead all the men of valour in Israel. He was just a tender, scraggy young man that could not even bear the armour of great warriors. But his sterling feat stood him out and he went on to run a government that left many firsts in the annals of history today. 

Agreed therefore that the past is instructive in choosing our leader and of course the Governor of Enugu State come 2023, we will take a snappy look at Dr. Peter Mbah, PDP Enugu State Governorship candidate.

The man Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is a man of great intellectual depth, whose education culminated from Nigeria and passed through the prestigious institutions of learning in Europe and the United States. As a student, Peter did not fail to stand out as the rays of a million stars. With such rarity, he didn't fail to attract the attention of his lecturers. Extolling the academic and overall ingenuity of Peter Mbah, one of his lecturers, Mr Ken McGuire had this to say, "Peter is personable and well mannered. He is liked and respected by his fellow students and members of the academic at University of East London. He is a diligent, well organized, and hardworking student and his academic abilities are excellent...one of the best students I have taught at UEL. He is confident of his abilities and works extremely hard".  

This coming from one of the leading teaching staff at the university of East London resonates as a fitting passmark and tribute to a man who was later to grow into an economic czar years afterward through exemplary industry and focus, application of knowledge and courage to dare. 

As an entrepreneur, he founded the Peter Mbah Investments Limited in 1992, a service provider in the oil and gas sector. He is the founder of GILPEL Industries Ltd., an importer of general goods between 1993 to 1997, and also founded the FOCUS International Schools in Lagos State. Mbah was the sole agent of International Oil Corporation, a United States oil and gas company based in Fresno, California. He is the Founder/CEO of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd. This establishment completed the development of a Single Point Monitoring (SPM), Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM) and storage facilities in Lekki Free Trade Zone in 2021.

Many Nigerians have commended and appreciated the initiative, resilience, vision, concerted efforts and diligence of the owner of the Pinnacle Oil and Gas limited and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and his workaholic team in making the employment-generation project a reality especially in the present economic challenges. The conception, expansion and  actualisation of the capital-intensive project by Mbah and his team from a studio room in Lagos Island in 2004 to a major global oil player within a short time is a testament and manifestation of the sterling qualities Mbah is made of and what he has always stood for which is wealth-creation, visionary leadership, disruptive innovation and entrepreneurship. 

With this great breakthrough in the competitive downstream oil sector which is no mean feat, Mbah has once again proven that he is prepared and has what it takes to build on the achievements of the present government in Enugu and lead the state to the Promised Land of wealth creation and entrepreneurship.

His unbeatable, people-oriented  and rich manifesto which he unveiled recently to Ndi Enugu speaks volume of his depth and readiness to govern Enugu State well to the wellbeing, admiration and happiness of all.

Indeed it is safe to conclude that with Dr Peter Mbah, our #TomorrowIsHere.

By Onyekachi C Ugwu