_Enugu State Governor Charges Local Government Chairmen to Embrace Creativity and Optimal Performance_

Enugu State Governor Charges Local Government Chairmen to Embrace Creativity and Optimal Performance

Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has urged newly elected Local Government chairmen to prioritize creativity, innovation, and lean spending to deliver quality governance to the grassroots. This charge was given at the ongoing three-day Enugu State Local Government Executive Leadership Retreat, themed "Aligning Strategy for Sustainable Economic and Infrastructure Delivery at the Local Government Level".

The retreat, held in Enugu, brought together Local Government chairmen and their deputies to align their administration's goals and objectives with Governor Mbah's robust policies of disruptive innovation. The governor reminded the council chairmen that the "honeymoon" period is over and that it's time for them to hit the ground running in their respective local governments.

Governor Mbah emphasized the importance of effective leadership, advising the participants to develop clear action plans, set measurable indicators, and conduct strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analyses to drive their vision. He stressed that everybody in the council areas was looking up to them to deliver on their promises, which should take the path of fast-paced governance models for their impact to be meaningful.

"When you develop your strategies, what will keep you moving is your love for your people. You must have a clear action plan. As a leader, you must have measurable indicators. Your vision and action plan must be strategic and borne out of a framework that will guide your structure," Governor Mbah added.

The governor reiterated that public money, which is not their personal property, must be used for the collective interest of the people. He tasked them on transparency, prudence, accountability, and accessibility to the people, emphasizing that the only way council leaders could transform their areas was through disruptive innovation, target setting, key performance indicators, frequent review and evaluation management, and thinking outside the box to disrupt the status quo.

Governor Mbah highlighted his administration's goals, including:

- _260 Smart Green Schools_

- _260 Type-2 primary healthcare centers_

- _10,000km road construction_

- _Eradication of poverty through human capital development and empowerment programs_

- _Deliberate state policies to make Enugu an investment destination_

- _A GDP target of $30 billion driven by inclusive and sustainable economic growth, resilience, and restoration of peace and security for the people_

Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, noted that the retreat aims to communicate Governor Mbah's agenda and vision for accelerated economic growth and zero percent poverty headcount in the state. He explained that the administration's priorities would be driven by inclusive and sustainable economic growth, resilience, and restoration of peace and security for the people through alignment of all levels of government.

Local Government chairmen, including Hon. Sydney Edeh, Pastor Beloved-Dan Anike, and Hon. Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, pledged to align their policies and programs with the governor's strategic values and state objectives. They expressed gratitude for the leadership retreat, describing it as a practical step to development.

Hon. Sydney Edeh, chairman of Nkanu East council area and State ALGON Chairman, pledged to work closely with his colleagues to fulfill their promises to the people. He noted that they had already aligned their policies and programs with Governor Mbah's strategic values and state objectives after a painstaking and thorough study of the policies and governance philosophy of the state government.

Pastor Beloved-Dan Anike, chairman of Enugu East Local Government, lauded the leadership retreat, emphasizing the need for urgent empowerment of youths in his area. He highlighted the importance of entrepreneurial skills, digital skills, start-up capital, and other training programs to eradicate poverty and improve standards of living.

Hon. Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, chairman of Aninri Local Government, expressed his commitment to replicating Governor Mbah's template in his area. He noted that he had developed a five-year policy and would begin implementation soon.

Chairmen of Igboeze South and Isi Uzo local councils, Barr. Ferdinand Ugwueze and Hon Obiora Obeagu, described the retreat as a practical step to development. They praised Governor Mbah for equipping them with tools to reposition their council areas.

The retreat is expected to equip council leaders with leadership skills, strategic tools, and collaborative frameworks necessary to deliver on infrastructure and economic development in line with state priorities.