Mbah Empowers Vulnerable Residents with 520 Grinding Machines, Targets 520 Beneficiaries

.Inaugurates administrators for Enugu’s 68 development centres, tasks them on grassroots governance

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu

In a bid to promote grassroots enterprise and reduce poverty, the Enugu State Government has distributed 520 grinding machines to indigent and vulnerable residents across the state.

Also, Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has inaugurated the newly appointed 68 Administrators to take charge of the Development Centres of the state, tasking on prioritising grassroots governance and ensuring effective communication of government policies and projects.

The intervention, which forms part of Governor Mbah’s administration’s sustained efforts to expand economic inclusion, would be extended to beneficiaries drawn from all the 260 electoral wards in the state.

Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, at the launching of the initiative in Enugu to commemorate the International Day of the Poor 2026, said his administration would continue to expand opportunities of livelihood at the grassroots.

He stated that the programme reflected his administration’s commitment to building an inclusive and prosperous Enugu State where every citizen, irrespective of social or economic circumstances, has the opportunity to improve their standard of living.

Mbah noted that the distribution went beyond the provision of equipment, describing it as a practical investment in the economic independence of vulnerable households and an effort to ensure that the benefits of governance were felt directly at the grassroots.

According to him, providing beneficiaries with productive assets would enable them to establish viable micro-enterprises, earn sustainable incomes, support their families and contribute to the state’s broader economic development.

In her keynote address, the Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Poverty Eradication, Prof. Benedette Okoli, said that the beneficiaries were selected from the Enugu State Social Register of the Poor and Vulnerable, compiled by the State Operations Coordinating Unit.

She stressed that the selection was based on verified data and established vulnerability criteria, insisting that political affiliation, favouritism and personal connections played no part in determining those who benefited from the programme.

Prof. Okoli urged the recipients to make productive use of the equipment, maintain them properly and seize the opportunity to establish sustainable businesses capable of generating regular income and improving their families’ welfare.

She assured residents that the state government would continue to introduce and expand targeted interventions aimed at creating economic opportunities for disadvantaged groups and addressing poverty across the state.

The Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Poverty Eradication reiterated the government’s determination to sustain and broaden its empowerment initiatives as part of its comprehensive strategy to tackle poverty, strengthen household economies and improve the welfare of vulnerable residents.

In their goodwill messages, the Chairman of the Ezeagu Local Government Area Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Emmanuel Anichebe; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke; and Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Robert Ozongwu, commended Governor Mbah for the initiative.

They described the intervention as timely and impactful, noting that the provision of productive equipment would stimulate small-scale economic activities, ease the financial difficulties confronting vulnerable households and improve the livelihoods of beneficiaries.

The distribution pattern which covers all 260 electoral wards in the 17 local government areas, provides two grinding machines to beneficiaries in each ward thereby equipping disadvantaged residents with productive assets to establish small businesses, generate income and improve their living conditions.

Two of the beneficiaries, Mr. Peter Chime from Obuofia-Awkunanaw and Mrs. Virginia Nwachukwu from Obe community, expressed gratitude to the governor, describing the gesture as an opportunity to become economically productive and financially independent.

They said the grinding machines would enable them to establish small businesses, generate regular income and provide better support for their families, pledging to put the equipment to effective use.

The beneficiaries also pledged their support for Governor Mbah’s re-election, President Bola Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections, describing their commitment as an expression of appreciation for the administration’s intervention.

Meanwhile, the governor who inaugurated the newly appointed 68 Administrators gave the charge at the swearing-in ceremony held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, Thursday, saying that the oath of office taken by the appointees constituted a social contract and a commitment to serve with integrity.

Mbah noted that the Development Centres remained a critical component of his administration’s governance model because they represented the closest tier of government engagement with the people.

“Government is about the people, and we do not have an arm of government that is closer to the people than the Development Centres,” he said.

The governor stated that the appointees were expected to take government policies, programmes and projects closer to communities, particularly women, families and other grassroots populations, while complementing rather than replacing the statutory responsibilities of local governments.

He, therefore, urged them to work closely with their respective local government chairmen to ensure that government interventions and development initiatives reached their intended beneficiaries.

The governor further tasked the 68 Administrators on the need to understand government policies at both state and local government levels and effectively communicate their benefits to residents, especially those in rural communities.

Using the administration’s investments in Smart Green Schools and Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres as examples, Mbah said the appointees should go beyond merely announcing government projects to explaining their practical benefits to the people.

He charged the Administrators to educate communities on how the modern healthcare facilities would reduce maternal and child mortality, ensure timely childhood immunisation and improve access to essential healthcare services.

“I want you to carry the energy and zest I see in you to our communities. Carry the energy to your various homes and communities,” he said.

Mbah further urged them to sensitise residents on government interventions in water supply, sanitation and the campaign to make Enugu an open-defecation-free state.

On the political front, he said that the appointees must communicate his administration’s achievements and policies to the electorate, challenging opposition politicians to present their programmes and records in governance.

He stated that the administration would take its campaign and performance assessment engagements to the various Development Centres to showcase projects and achievements across communities and wards.

“Our campaign is going to be at the different Development Centres. We are going to go to all our Development Centres to point out to Ndi Enugu what we have done, not just at the Development Centre level, but even at the wards and our communities,” he said.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to its 10,000-kilometre road development target, adding that significant progress had also been recorded in tourism, transportation and other sectors.

He expressed satisfaction with his administration’s payment of gratuities to retired workers, noting that the intervention was being implemented at both state and local government levels.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Frank Anioma, earlier in his remarks described the inauguration as another demonstration of Mbah’s commitment to effective grassroots administration and development.

He charged the appointees to mobilise grassroot support for the governor’s re-election bid in their respective Development Centres.

Responding on behalf of the appointees, an Administrator from Enugu North, Kenechukwu Ikenegbu, expressed gratitude to the governor for the appointments and pledged their commitment to advancing the administration’s development agenda at the grassroots.

He said the appointees would serve as the governor’s representatives in their respective communities, taking the administration’s achievements to residents through sustained engagement and door-to-door mobilisation.

Ikenegbu also pledged their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates in the forthcoming elections, assuring that they would intensify grassroots mobilisation across the state.

Speaking to journalists after the inauguration, the Administrator, Nkanu East South Development Centre, Hon. Emmanuel Edeh, said with over 10,000 verifiable milestones, Mbah had given the appointees so much to campaign on.

The swearing-in conducted by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Osinachi Nnajieze, was witnessed by party members, leaders and other stakeholders. They included the Minister of Innovation Science and Technology Dr. Kingsley Udeh, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu, the State Chairman of APC, Dr. Martin Chukwunwike.

Other important dignitaries at the event were the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, local government chairmen and members of the state executive council.