Gov. Mbah Says Nation-Building Requires Faith, Honesty and Work as Bishop Onaga Commends Enugu’s Security Progress.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform — October 2, 2026
THREE Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has urged Nigerians to approach the country’s 66th Independence anniversary with thanksgiving, courage, optimism and renewed commitment to nation-building, stressing that meaningful national development is not always accompanied by fanfare.
Governor Mbah made the call on Thursday at a thanksgiving Mass held at the Enugu Government House Chapel to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day.
The governor noted that although this year’s celebration was largely low-key, the quiet nature of the commemoration should not diminish the significance of the occasion.
“Nation-building is not always accompanied by fireworks,” Mbah said, noting that some of the most consequential contributions to Nigeria’s progress were taking place quietly in classrooms, hospitals, farms, construction sites, factories, businesses, laboratories and security formations.
He acknowledged the economic and social challenges confronting Nigerians but urged citizens not to allow present difficulties to overshadow the possibilities ahead.
“There are moments in a nation’s journey when the difficulties are so immediate that it becomes difficult to see the possibilities beyond them. But dawn does not announce itself with noise. It begins quietly,” he said.
Mbah said Nigeria had survived crises that had torn other nations apart, adding that the reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were beginning to create new opportunities and conditions for economic growth.
“Let us acknowledge honestly the challenges before us. But let us also refuse the temptation to define Nigeria only by her difficulties. A nation is not measured only by the problems it faces, but also by the courage with which it confronts them,” he stated.
According to him, Nigerians should approach the nation’s 66th year not with blind optimism or despair, but with “faith, courage, honesty and work.”
The governor further said the Federal Government’s policies and reforms had created opportunities for states that were prepared to take advantage of them, while noting indications of improving economic stability and production.
Enugu’s Story of Renewal
Mbah described Enugu State as an example of what can be achieved through resilience, self-belief and purposeful development, saying the state was moving from a narrative of decline to one of renewal.
“There was a time when the dominant conversation about Enugu was about what had been lost – about a city and a state whose best days were behind them.
“Today, a different story is being written. A renaissance is taking place – across our schools and hospitals, our roads and even in the skies, in once moribund factories, our agricultural communities, and our tourism space,” he said.
The governor said the transformation taking place in Enugu demonstrated what becomes possible when people refuse to surrender to the limitations of the past.
He thanked the people of Enugu State for their support and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to its development agenda.
“We will not be distracted from the work. We will remain faithful to the policies and projects that have changed the trajectory of our state,” Mbah said.
He added that his administration would continue to prioritise the welfare and security of residents, invest in education and strengthen the state’s economy.
“We will continue to build a state in which our children do not have to leave home to find a future,” he concluded.
Bishop Onaga Commends Security Improvements
In his homily, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, acknowledged the challenges facing Nigeria but said the country still had reasons to give thanks to God.
Bishop Onaga commended Governor Mbah over what he described as significant progress in Enugu State, particularly in the area of security.
He recalled the security challenges experienced in the state between 2021 and 2023, including attacks and the killing and kidnapping of priests, and said improved security was essential for sustainable investment and development.
The bishop, however, stressed that more work remained to be done.
He urged political and public office holders to see their positions as opportunities to serve the people, particularly the weak, poor and vulnerable.
According to him, Nigeria’s development must be founded not only on material progress but also on justice, holiness and truth.
“Our national map will not rest on purely material foundations. It will rest on a new moral condition built on justice, holiness, and truth,” Onaga said.
The thanksgiving Mass was attended by heads of other arms of government, senior government officials and other leaders.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform — Informing Enugu, Connecting the World.