The highly esteemed HRH Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu is from the Enugu West Senatorial District. Remember him? We shall come back to the royal father later in the essay. More relatively, my humble self is also from the same zone. Though I rarely comment or join issues with state governors, I am compelled to do so for obvious reasons. The truth is that the political fraud cascading in Enugu State is now being advertised as a model.
The very Enugu political fraud was at center stage in the recent purported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Peter Mbah for the 2027 elections by certain elements in the zone. This purported endorsement is not just a political misstep; it is a calculated insult to the intelligence of the constituents. To suggest that a zone currently grappling with systemic neglect and marginalization would “unanimously” back the very architects of its current plight is a fraud taken several deep steps too far.
One must ask: on what merit is this endorsement based? If we look at political appointments, the evidence is insulting. For a zone as vibrant as Enugu West, its highest trophy under Peter Mbah is the office of the Chief of Staff to the State Governor. At the federal level, the zone remains largely invisible in the corridors of power.
This apparent lack of state or federal appointments is why the governor had to transport political office holders from other zones to create a semblance of a government function. Thus to trade the future of an entire senatorial district for a few domestic staff positions in the Government House is not diplomacy; it is political servitude. It is political insanity. This is a humiliation the zone must not forget, come 2027 elections.
The argument for infrastructural development is even more hollow. Enugu West remains the only zone in the state without a single functional institution of higher learning. While other regions progress, our youth are forced to look elsewhere, a direct result of his renewed assault on the zone despite promises to the contrary.
Still on infrastructure, the state of the roads in Enugu West is a national eyesore. From the collapsed arteries connecting our rural communities to the neglected federal bypasses, the road to 2027 for Tinubu and Mbah is literally paved with potholes and broken promises. Even the very road to the event center at awgu is a shame that stared on his face.
The most consequential is a deep-seated moral and cultural grievance. The Igbo nation has watched with heartbreak as properties in Lagos—the fruit of decades of labor—were targeted for demolition under the watch of the current federal leadership under Bola Tinubu. As if that is not enough, the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, despite various court rulings and pleas for a political solution, remains a bleeding wound. That is where HRH Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu comes in.
So, did Peter Mbah suddenly forget that Igwe Agubuzu, the traditional ruler of Ezema Olo Kingdom, is from Enugu West? Did they forget so soon Agubuzo’s passionate direct plea to TInubu regarding the unjust detention of Kanu while Sunday Igboho, his counterpart in the Yoruba nation, is free receiving accolades and traditional titles? This plea captured the conscience of peace loving Nigerians, yet it mattered less to the diabolical duo of Bola and Peter Mbah.
Therefore, for any leader in Enugu West to endorse TInubu and Peter Mbah who are perceived to be colluding in these actions is a betrayal of the Igbo interest and a mockery of the hardships faced by our kinsmen.
We must not fail to address the “Smart Schools” project—Governor Mbah’s signature initiative. Far from being the face of education, the initiative is a monumental pipeline for corruption. While the government touts these as revolutionary, the reality on the ground is a massive education scandal, where billions are funneled into aesthetic structures while the actual quality of learning, teacher welfare, and existing primary education decay. It is a “smart” way to move funds, but a dumb way to build a future.
The state governor likes to make Nigerians believe his government generates so much in IGR! But where is the source and where is the money? The claimed Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) in Enugu State exists primarily as impressive figures on paper, starkly contrasting with the lack of corresponding tangible development projects on the ground. Citizens are left questioning the authenticity and application of these funds, as infrastructure gaps remain and public services fail to reflect the massive revenue increases reported by officials.
Even worse, imposing heavy taxation on the peasant farmers and traders of Enugu West Senatorial district in name of a bogus promise of improving the IGR is a draconian measure that actively dismantles the fragile livelihood of the region’s most vulnerable economic actors. Furthermore, channeling these extracted resources into phantom projects that lack physical existence is a clear act of misappropriation, depriving communities of promised infrastructural development
Enugu West is not for sale. Any group claiming to speak for the zone while ignoring these glaring failures is engaging in a mercenary contract, not a democratic endorsement. The people will not be led like sheep to the slaughter in 2027; they will remember the neglect, the demolitions, and the fraudulent promises.
Dr. SKC Ogbonnia, an Enugu West Stakeholder, writes from Ugbo, Awgu, Enugu State
