Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has restated his commitment to end water scarcity in the state within 68 days. He stated this shortly after his victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in the state.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that a three-member panel of judges headed by Kudirat Akano, on Thursday, dismissed the petition by the Labour Party governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, for being incompetent.
The tribunal held that Mr Edeoga failed to prove his allegation that Mr Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
It ruled that the PDP candidate was already qualified, even without submitting the NYSC certificate, adding that the NYSC certificate was not a requirement for qualification to contest the office of the governor in line with Sections 177 and 138 of the 1999 Constitution.
Mbah speaks
Reacting via a post on his verified X handle (formerly Twitter), Mr Mbah said the outcome of the tribunal judgment was a victory for “massive development and exponential growth” for Enugu people.
The governor said the victory will also spur him to fulfil his promise of ending water scarcity in the state within 68 days.
“It is a victory for Enugu’s greatness. And a victory for the ban on Monday sit-at-home. Finally, it is also a victory for our determination to restore water in all your homes in the next 68 days,” he said.
Ending water scarcity
Mr Mbah had repeatedly promised to end perennial water scarcity in Enugu within 180 days from 29 May when he was sworn-in as governor.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that water scarcity in Enugu has been a recurring problem for decades despite successive state governments and international organisations’ huge financial investments.
Authorities said the water scarcity was exacerbated by the topography of the state and the presence of coal deposits which frustrate efforts to build boreholes.
Efforts by the Enugu State Water Corporation, a state agency tasked with supplying water from Oji, Iva, Ninth Mile and Ajali rivers to households in the state, have yet to be successful due to recurring equipment breakdowns.
As a result, residents of the state rely largely on hand-dug wells for water, which usually dry up during the dry season. This worsens the scarcity yearly, usually between December and March in the state.
‘Belief in the Judiciary’
Mr Mbah lauded the tribunal for “painstakingly dissecting the petitions brought before them” and delivering judgment that “resonates” with the people of Enugu State.
“Indeed, this has reaffirmed our belief in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man,” he said.
The governor urged candidates of other political parties who participated in the governorship election to join him in the task of building the state.
He assured the people of the state that he would repay their support for him during the governorship poll by working for them.
“I want to assure you that we will work for you with every fibre of our being. I stand by the campaign promise I made as espoused in our statement of our purpose,” he said.
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