Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has reiterated his call for the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, stressing that “freeing Kanu is the right thing to do.”
Governor Mbah appealed during a question-and-answer session after delivering a paper on Leadership and Transformation at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference held in Enugu.
He revealed that his very first official visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to advocate for Kanu’s release. Responding to a participant’s encouragement to persist in his efforts, Mbah affirmed:
“My first visit to the President was about Nnamdi Kanu. I believe the right thing to do is to release him. Hopefully, that will be done soon.”
Reflecting on the impact of Kanu’s detention, the governor noted that Enugu had overcome the challenges of the Monday sit-at-home order, which once crippled business and social activities across the Southeast.
“We met a situation where people were compelled to stay at home every Monday. Now, people trade in Ogbete and other markets in peace. Monday sit-at-home has ended in Enugu, as you (lawyers) can see for yourselves,” he said.
Kanu is currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on terrorism charges, which he has denied.
Turning to governance, Governor Mbah highlighted his administration’s vision to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, eradicate poverty, and position the state as Nigeria’s preferred destination for business, tourism, and living.
“We imagined a state that, within eight years, would be completely unrecognisable from the one we inherited,” he explained.
Central to this transformation, he said, is security. He disclosed that Enugu has adopted a technology-driven, intelligence-led framework anchored in a Command and Control Centre.
“With round-the-clock AI surveillance across neighbourhoods, integrated response units, and community partnerships, Enugu has recorded over 80 per cent reduction in violent crime. This stability is the bedrock upon which investment, jobs, and society can grow.”
The governor also pointed to his administration’s massive development drive, with more than 2,000 projects ongoing or completed in health, roads, transport, agriculture, and education.
He defended dedicating over a third of the state’s budget to education, describing it as the most strategic investment in Enugu’s future.
“We committed over 33 per cent of our budget to education, a decision some thought was reckless. But we knew it was essential. The real wealth of Enugu rests on the quality of its human capital—now and in the years to come,” Mbah concluded.
