Transition committee requests Governor Mbah to trim MDAs, digitise land registry

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah’s transition committee has advised him to implement impactful programmes from his campaign manifesto.

The committee urged Governor Mbah to reduce the number of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and to digitise the state’s land registry.

It suggested a 365-day plan, which would be a sector-by-sector target for his government over the next year.

Concerning water resources, the committee requested that Mbah create rehabilitated distribution systems/20,000m storage terminal tank, ensure the disconnection of all illegal connections on the transmission pipeline from crash programmes boreholes to the Ogwojo Reservoir, and generate accurate billing revenue for supplies to domestic, industrial, and commercial institutions.

It stated that the government should “run effective and lean government by reducing the number of ministries from 25 to 17 and having only special advisers with clear mandate by scrapping comatose MDAs and merging others” within a year, while also emphasising performance and peer review based on established priorities and key performance indicators.

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“The government will ensure that the LGA governance system begins operating as provided in the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Enugu State LG Law as amended, the financial memorandum, and other applicable laws and policy documents,” it said.

The administration was advised to reinstate the six-day commercial/trading week and five-day working week in order to allow government employees to return to work on Mondays, to clean up small arms and ammunition by paying cash for and destroying them, and to strengthen security architecture by providing logistics, equipment, and intelligence.

The committee suggested that the government digitise the Ministry of Lands and automate the land registry in accordance with Geographic Information System (GIS), as well as develop and implement a new model for installing and maintaining streetlights in urban and rural areas.

The document also stated that the administration is expected to identify and designate new urban centres within the three senatorial zones within one year.

On environmental and sanitation issues, the Peter Mbah administration is expected to develop a private-sector-run solid waste management strategy, as well as roll out new plants and equipment, waste bins and collection points, and well-trained and motivated staff in Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) and private sector contractors and partners.

If the committee’s recommendation is followed, the government intends to identify an ideal location and establish a permanent sanitary landfill for Enugu State in a revamped master plan within a year.

In terms of education, it advised the administration to form functional local government education committees in all 17 LGAs, as well as to make qualitative improvements in teacher salaries and benefits, including rural allowances for teachers in remote areas.

The government was urged to launch a public dashboard and make it available to citizens in key priority areas such as water and roads, among others, with visual displays of progress reports for an effective social contract with the people.

According to the committee, the administration should also launch a digitised and interactive Peter Mbah Citizen Contract/Social Charter to provide citizens with visibility across LGAs, track progress, and access regular updates on commitments Mbah made during campaigns.

Aside from that, the administration was urged to establish a ‘community helpline’ where citizens could provide feedback on a variety of issues. It was also suggested that the government establish the Enugu Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) bub and the Enugu Creative Industries Commission office. It also demanded that the Enugu Convention (conference) Centre in Okpara Square and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium be given to operators willing to invest in the facilities.

The Mbah administration was instructed to ensure that the Rangers International Football Club returns to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium within 365 days, while also hosting local and international youth and sports events.

It wants the administration to “finalise and conclude the legal case for the Hotel Presidential,” as well as support the development of a concessioned Nike Lake Resort.

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The new government was urged to develop a legislative agenda for the establishment of an ICT Agency, as well as to establish Hotspot networks for citizens in key locations and to use public-private partnerships (PPP) to develop a Hybrid Data Centre Infrastructure.

Investment promotion, agri-business, energy and mineral resources, enterprise development, commerce and industry, and strategic communication and branding are also included in the one-year work plan.