*As Gov Unfurls Operational Package For Them
*State Govt Outlines Robust Plans For Agric Transformation
*To Host 48th Annual General Meeting Of National Council on Agriculture and Food Security Nov
By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
More support came for Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as the Tricycle Riders Association in the South-East state endorsed him for a second term in office.
The body cited improved security, road infrastructure, and provision of social amenities as their reasons for backing the governor.
The association, popularly known as Keke Riders, also endorsed President Bola Tinubu, citing the Enugu–Onitsha Road; Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway; New Artisan Bridge; Obinagu Flyover, and strategic appointments as reason.
This was even as Governor Mbah scrapped the N750 daily payment by tricycle operators and also extended their operational time from 9pm to 10pm.
Mbah also said they would continue to operate at no cost at all the state’s modern transport terminals.
Leading the endorsement at Okpara Square, Enugu, during the conclusion of a One Million March event, weekend, the state Chairman of Tricycle Riders Association of Nigeria, Comrade Kingsley Edeh, said the endorsements were predicated on achievements, especially those that have impacted the lives and businesses of tricycle riders, their families, and the people of Enugu State in general.
“Which will we reel out and leave the other? Is it the security and good roads, which now enable us to ply our trade without any problems? The 267 Smart Green Schools, the completion of long-abandoned projects such as the International Conference Centre, Nigergas Limited, Sunrise Four Mills, Hotel Presidential, and many more?
“We can also see the infrastructure President Tinubu is building in the South-East and the support he is giving to our governors.
“So, we will vote APC from top to bottom come 2027,” he declared.
Corroborating the position of the Chairman, the body’s National Secretary, Comrade Sunday Enang, described Mbah as a ‘magician’ in the art of governance, stressing that no governor anywhere had done what he was able to accomplish in three years.
“Your ‘Tomorrow Is Here’ vision is evident in the construction of modern transport terminals, the establishment of Enugu Air, investment in an asphalt plant, intra- and inter-city road construction, and efforts to improve traffic flow and urban transportation.
“These initiatives are promoting safer, more organised, and more efficient movement across the state.
“We also commend the policy allowing tricycle operators to use designated terminals without paying toll fees. This support recognises their contribution to the economy and the livelihoods of thousands of families.
“These practical policies reflect disruptive innovation and demonstrate how effective leadership can turn vision into tangible opportunities,” he said.
In his response, Mbah described tricycle operators as critical players in the state’s economy, stressing that while his administration was focused on growth, it was equally determined to eradicate poverty, hence the various interventions to increase their disposable incomes.
“You are the powerhouse of our economy because you set out early in the morning, working long hours, navigating traffic, taking our workers to work, taking our students to school, moving our people from urban areas to rural communities, connecting businesses, and helping traders get to their businesses. A lot of people earn their living because of what you do.
“But we also see your struggles. So, I have started engaging with your executives on how we can make life better for you. As the Managing Director of the Transport Terminal just said, no more payment by our tricycle riders at any of the transport terminals.
“Let me also recognise something. Our government, as you know, is not just about growth. We are also interested in ending poverty and making sure that you have more money or disposable income to take care of your family. And so, the issue of tickets is sealed. No more tickets for you.
“Again, when we came into the office in 2023, we inherited a curfew on tricycle operators such that they could only operate from 6am to 9pm. There was a sit-at-home, but we have ended that with your support. Today, Enugu State is safe. So, we will be shifting your operational time limit from 9pm to 10pm,” he said.
While acknowledging their commendation for the rapid construction of roads, Mbah said this was part of the government’s deliberate steps to increase their disposable incomes by reducing their spending on repairs, assuring them that his administration would construct and reconstruct all the remaining 1,022 urban roads in the state.
“Because I understand how bad roads can be terrible, not only for your tricycles and the money you spend on repairs, but also for the time you spend at the mechanic, all the roads in Emene, Abakpa, Idaw River, Trans-Ekulu, Awkunanaw Area, Coal Camp, New Haven, Thinkers Corner, Uwani, among others, are paved or being paved.
“I can assure you that there will be no road in our city that will be unpaved. We are going to pave all the remaining 1,022 roads,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, Mbah has vowed that his administration would take every step within the law to preserve the security and peace that the people of Enugu had worked to build in the state.
“You must treasure it. You must protect it. Enugu is on an upward trajectory. We will not allow those deceptive voices and politicians who campaign in poetry but only govern in prose. With our government, you have experienced real development and real growth.
“Let me also warn that we have worked extremely hard to establish a safe state. Nobody, no matter their ambition, will take that away from us. And we will not stop at anything, deploying all means necessary within the law to bring to book any violator or anybody who tries to import thugs to disrupt the peace and public safety we enjoy in this city and this state. We have zero tolerance for violence.”
He enjoined the people to make good their endorsements by getting their PVCs ready for the 2027 elections and vote massively for him, all APC candidates, and President Bola Tinubu, whose policies, he said, ensured the availability of resources to execute the numerous listed projects.
Other speakers at the event were the Enugu State Chairman of ruling APC, Dr. Martins Chukwunweike; Grand Patron of the State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Igwe Greg Ugwu; and the Managing Director, Enugu East Zone Transport Terminals, Dr. John Egbo.
State Govt Outlines Robust Plans For Agric Transformation
In another development, Mbah has reiterated his administration’s commitment to eradication of hunger and poverty through agricultural transformation.
He stated this during the 2026 World Food Day celebration organised by the state Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation in Enugu.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, commended the Ministry and development partners for their efforts to boost agricultural production and improve food security.
He said the state was targeting increased agricultural production beyond local consumption to meet export demands.
“We’re here today to commemorate the World Food Day with a theme, ‘Innovate Today And Nourish Tomorrow’, which falls in line with the important responsibility before us to build agricultural transformation that will feed our people, give livelihood and contribute meaningful to economic development of our state and country,” he said.
Mbah said his administration viewed agriculture not merely as a means of food production but as a critical driver of economic growth, employment generation and rural development.
Speaking on the theme, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr Patrick Ubru, said government was pursuing a transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture capable of creating wealth and generating employment.
According to him, the administration is investing in mechanisation and developing 260 Smart Farm Estates across the state’s wards to improve productivity and strengthen agricultural value chains.
“We are bringing tomorrow here today,” the Commissioner said, explaining that the state’s tractor-leasing programme was designed to provide farmers with affordable access to machinery and reduce the time and cost of land preparation.
He said the proposed farm estates would cluster agricultural production with essential infrastructure, making it easier to aggregate produce and supply processors with cassava, grains and other raw materials.
The Commissioner also highlighted the Enugu Anchor Greenhouse Cluster Model, which provides cooperative farmers with greenhouses and solar-powered cold-chain facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.
He said the initiative would create opportunities for women, young people and persons with disabilities to establish agribusinesses, cultivate high-value vegetables and earn sustainable incomes.
On livestock development, he disclosed that the state was building the Enugu Livestock Development Centre at Ubahu/Amankanu to bring animal healthcare, production, processing and marketing services under one roof.
He added that the government had advanced efforts to revive dormant agricultural assets, including Enugu Tribu Songhai Farms in Ezeagu and Enugu United Palm Products Limited, which, he said, had progressed to commercial production.
The Commissioner stressed that value addition was critical to maximising the economic benefits of agriculture.
“When we sell raw produce alone, we leave much of its potential value unrealised,” he said.
He linked the state’s agricultural transformation agenda to Mbah’s ambition of expanding Enugu’s economy from an estimated $4.4 billion to $30 billion by 2031.
The Commissioner also announced that Enugu State would host the 48th Annual General Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security next month, describing it as an opportunity to showcase the state’s agricultural initiatives and attract further investment.
He urged farmers to adopt improved farming practices, participate in training and cooperative programmes, and take advantage of available government support.
Dr Ubru also called on development partners, researchers and investors to collaborate with the state in strengthening agricultural production, processing and marketing.
The Commissioner expressed appreciation to the governor for providing counterpart funding for agricultural programmes, which, he noted, had helped the state access development initiatives and establish partnerships to support farmers.
He said sustained investment and collaboration were necessary to build a food-secure state where farmers prospered, agribusinesses thrived and households had access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Some of the association’s members display branded tricycles bearing Mbah and Tinubu’s pictures, at the event.
