May 29, 2019 makes it four years since Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was sworn in for his first term as the governor of Enugu State.
Upon his swearing in four years ago, he unveiled a four-point agenda for his administration, namely; employment generation, social services and good governance, rural development, security and social justice.
On that historic occasion, the good people of Enugu State, friends and well-wishers gathered in large numbers at the popular Michael Okpara Square Enugu to witness the inauguration of a pragmatic leader and true friend of the people, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as the third executive governor of the new Enugu State. In his inaugural address, Gov Ugwuanyi promised to work assiduously towards entrenching peace and good governance in the state, despite the nation’s daunting economic challenges.
As a visionary and grassroots leader, the governor pledged to embark on an aggressive infrastructural development across the state, especially in the rural areas, where the majority of the people reside. This vision was borne out of his humble disposition and passion for the well-being of the lowly and less privileged in the society; the long neglected and abandoned in the rural communities, who he describes as “the true heroes of democracy”.
He said: “I renew the message of peace, hope and development of our dear state and the principles of seamless continuity and consolidation. I reaffirm my commitment to seeing through the legacy of the present four-point agenda and, once again, commit to all our campaign promises in the 17 local government areas of the state.
“From the 17 local government areas, the people spoke eloquently with their votes and entrusted me [with] the responsibility of rendering selfless service to our dear state.
“I am deeply humbled by that mandate reposed in me and I hereby accept it with all sense of humility and gratitude.”
But then, how much of these promises has the man who was nick-named Gburugburu kept up with? Did he keep them or has he played politics with the people and the mandate handed to him? Is the news that the people have continued to applaud the governor for his works true or fake?
They are all true.
Ugwuanyi’s visionary approach, no doubt, has gone a long way in underscoring the dexterity, potency and ingenuity of his administration in prudent management of the state’s lean resources and its economic indices in spite of the prevailing economic challenges in the country.
Education
In May 2018, in line with the state government’s policy in education and the need to discover and assist intellectuals in the rural areas, the governor granted scholarships to 340 indigent students of the Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo, Ezeagu.
The governor explained that 20 indigent students in each of the 17 local government areas will benefit from the scholarship scheme which will, in turn, cover their tuition fees for four years of study at a total cost of N41.6 million.
Speaking during the maiden Engineering Day commemoration at the institution, where he inaugurated the newly constructed School of Engineering Complex sponsored by Prince Arthur Eze and laid foundation for the construction of the Prof. Julius Onah School of Management Technology, the governor disclosed that the cardinal principle of the educational policy of his administration remained the provision of access to qualitative education at all levels to all classes of the society.
In April 2018, the Enugu State Executive Council (EXCO) said it approved N2,572,686,367 for the immediate construction of new class room blocks and renovation of dilapidated structures in primary and junior secondary schools under the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), totaling 208.
Also, the council, in keeping with the four-point agenda of Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration on quality education and workers’ welfare, approved the sum of N271 million as bail-out fund to Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) to enable the institution off-set the remaining seven-month monetisation arrears owed its workers.
The council further approved and directed the speedy relocation of the Enugu State College of Education Technical from its temporary site in Enugu urban to the permanent site in Ihe, Awgu and upgraded it to a university of education. It further approved N14.6 million for ground work on the site.
Enugu’s place in the nation’s education ranking is not one which any right-thinking state administration would love to toy with. Over the years, this position has made her an envy of not a few and the current administration, led by Ugwuanyi, recently performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the first University of Education in Southeastern Nigeria as mentioned inter alia, in keeping faith with the state’s status as one which regards education as one of her priorities.
In December 2017, the state government released the sum of N184 million for the upgrade of the Mpu Youth Centre in Aninri Local Government Area, earlier approved by the Chief of Army Staff for the establishment of an Army Command Technical College.
Ugwuanyi’s administration has recruited over 2000 primary school teachers through the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) to improve the learning standard. It is also recruiting 2000 secondary school teachers through the Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB), in addition to the 857 volunteer teachers (engaged during the past administration) who were recently regularised as permanent staff of the state government under the PPSMB.
The state administration, under Ugwuanyi, has approved and directed the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) to recruit additional 1,500 primary school teachers to enhance basic education in the state. Also, it is on record that the administration has recruited over 4000 teachers since its inception, to create jobs and improve the standard of learning in the state.
In the same vein, the sum of N252,456,917.67 for the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) to pursue the re-accreditation of the institution’s courses whose prior accreditation had expired.
Internally generated revenue (IGR)
On the modest achievements of the government in economic development, one is impressed to note that the far-reaching reforms initiated by Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration in the state’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) saw to the significant increase in the internally generated revenue (IGR), from N14 billion in 2016 to N18.4 billion in the first ten months of 2017. This significant increase in internally-generated revenue enabled the state to pay the salaries of civil servants for the months of June, July 2018, without waiting for the monthly allocation.
Enugu State was among the five states recently recognised and awarded for or its reforms and position on the Ease of Doing Business Index for 2018. The other four states presented with the awards by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Awards 2019 held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa Abuja, are Kaduna, Enugu, Lagos, Abia and Anambra.
The Economic Confidential, in its Annual States Viability Index (ASVI) for 2018, showed that 17 of the 36 states are insolvent, given that their internally generated revenues (IGR) in 2018 were far below 10 per cent of their receipts from the Federation Account Allocations (FAA) in the same year. Enugu State, with an IGR of N22billion (23 per cent of the her N92 billion FFA), indicated that it can survive without Federal Allocation.
Infrastructure & Empowerment
Ugwuanyi’s administration has been able to embark on and finish verifiable road projects, both in the urban and rural areas across the state, covering over 300 kilometers of intra and inter-state roads – an unbeatable feat in the annals of the state. It has also engineered the maintenance of infrastructure built by past administrations (failed portions of roads, street and traffic lights etc).
For more effective operation of street lights in Enugu, the present administration recently procured and installed 25-unit 60 KVA generating sets to replace the aged ones in Enugu metropolis, as well as fresh installation in the University town of Nsukka. This was in addition to the 10 units of 200 KVA generators earlier procured to replace the ones used for over seven years.
Between 2017 and 2018, Ugwuanyi’s administration awarded multiple contracts for road projects worth over N4.6 billion in continuation of its massive infrastructure rehabilitation campaign in the nooks and crannies of the state.
Also worthy of commendation is the breakthrough recorded by the government in ridding Enugu metropolis of indiscriminate waste-dumping and ensuring a clean environment, through the taskforce constituted to complement the efforts of the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA).
In keeping with his inaugural address to pay a special attention to rural development, in recognition of the fact that majority of the people of the state live in the rural areas, the state government in October 2017, introduced the Choose-your-project policy, where stakeholders of every local government area in the state identified their priority project worth no less than N100 million for the government to execute for them. This unprecedented policy saw the successful and simultaneous execution of the first phase of 35 development projects across the 17 councils in the state.
In addition to this was the N10 million worth of project for every community in the state under the Visit Every Community (VEC) programme, with the first tranche of funds (N5 million) long released by the government. The uniqueness of this people-oriented programme, duly approved by the State Executive Council, is that it is a special development policy, one unheard of in the state, as each community will decide the project it would want to execute with the money for the overall interest of the people of the area. This ensured that all the ‘forgotten communities’ in the state benefited and guaranteed government presence in over 400 autonomous communities spread over the state. One appreciates the fact that, while all these capital-intensive projects were ongoing, the governor paid workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions on the 23rd of every month.
Following the first-ever Enugu State Economic Summit tagged ‘Oganiru’, the state has witnessed an in-flow of investors who are interested in doing business with the state. The impact of this vision is evident in the just completed HELIU Estate project in Enugu and the Lion Business Park driven by a Chinese Investment Company in partnership with the state government under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to build an industrial market on a 2000-hectare land parcel located within proximity of the Enugu Industrial Park – FTZ at the 9th Mile Corner, modelled after the Dragon Market in Dubai.
In November 2015, during his first year in office, his administration flagged off the mass construction of five roads in Enugu North senatorial zone. These include; Opi-Nsukka dual carriage-way, Obechara Road Junction – Umuakashi Mechanic Village – Ikenga Hotels Junction and the Post Office ring-rod – Odenigbo ring-road – Ogurugu Road – Ikenga Hotels junction and the Enugu Road Nsukka Junction – Umezebi – Nru Junction – University Gate, all within the university town of Nsukka, Ohom Orba Junction – Imilike Ani – Ezimo Uno – Ezimo Agu – Imilike Ogbodu Aba – Obollo Afor roads, all designated as Udenu ring roads, as they are located within Udenu council area and are linked.
Driven by the vision and passion to stamp his feet on the sands of time, Ugwuanyi’s administration awarded contracts for the construction of six major roads across the state at the sum of N2.4 billion, covering the Eha-Amufu-Nkalagu federal road at Isi-Uzo LGA which has been in a deplorable condition for over 35 years.
Other roads include the extension of the Agbani-Afor Amurri Road, the extension of Ituku Road, the construction of Ogonogoeji Ndi Agu Akpugo Road (Atavu Bailey Bridge –Afor Onovo), the construction of the 42-metre span Bailey Bridge and road works across River Nyama to Amechi, linking Umuogo and Umuagba Amechi Uno/ Obinagu community, all in Nkanu West LGA.
The Agbani-Amurri Road in Nkanu West LGA, newly constructed for a community that has never experienced any form of development on its land in the past 100 years and, also, the Ogonogoeji-Ndiagu-Akpugo Road (from Atavu Bailey Bridge to Afor Onovo), in the same council, has a historic and symbolic attraction as the first state government road project in the entire Akpugo zone since the creation of the state.
Consequently, Emene, Abakpa Nike, 9th Mile Corner and Nsukka – a university town founded over half a century ago and the second largest town in the state – among other satellite towns, got their fair share of the development of the areas as a matter of priority. A committee on Enugu State Urban Renewal was systematically constituted, ensuring full actualisation of the governor’s well thought-out programmes, in line with the four-point agenda.
It is remarkable to note that 56 years after three fire service stations were built in Enugu State, Ugwuanyi, as a manifestation of his commitment to safety and well-being of the people, has undertaken the construction of five new ultra-modern fire service stations across the three senatorial zones strategically located in Four-Corner, Ozalla, Nkanu West LGA; Ogrute, Igbo Eze North LGA; 9thMile Corner, Udi LGA; Orba, Udenu LGA and Oji, Oji River LGA.
Still in the years under review, the state government introduced a programme on aggressive road maintenance in Enugu metropolis tagged “Operation Zero Potholes”. It has also been consistent in the maintenance of street and traffic lights, as well as other facilities such as the bus-stop shelters. In addition to this, 1000 youths have been recently recruited under the Enugu Clean Team Project to enhance and sustain the state’s rating as one of the healthier and cleanest cities in the country.
The state government has equally executed numerous development projects in the urban area, such as the Holy Trinity Street and Bishop Michael Eneje Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Mount Crescent, GRA, Enugu; Orofia Street, off Nza Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Dental School – Tipper Garage Road, Trans Ekulu, Enugu; Loma Linda- Timber Shed Road, Maryland, Enugu; Nwafia Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Mbanefo Street, New Haven, Enugu; Secretariat Road, G.R.A, Enugu; Court Avenue by new State Secretariat, Enugu; Ibuza Street at Independence Layout, Enugu; Isi Uzo Street at Independence Layout, Enugu; Owerri Road and Poly Clinic Road, Asata, Enugu; Renovation of the Enugu State House of Assembly Complex and rehabilitation and re-asphalting of the popular Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, amongst others.
It would be recalled the governor recently inspected most of the road projects and promised the immediate intervention of his administration, while reiterating his commitment to the development of the rural areas, to give dwellers a sense of belonging and make life more meaningful for them.
In 2017, in keeping with his administration’s drive to open up more rural areas to enhance the well-being of the people of the state, Ugwuanyi flagged off construction of four rural roads in the state, measuring over 10km at the cost of almost N1billion.
In February 2018, the Enugu State Executive Council (EXCO) awarded contracts for the construction of another set of urban and rural roads worth over N1billion, in keeping with the state government’s infrastructural development initiatives and its resolve to continue to touch the lives of the people positively – a week after contracts were awarded for the construction of six major roads across the state to the tune of N2.4 billion, covering the deplorable Eha-Amufu-Nkalagu federal road at Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
The Ugwuanyi administration reconstructed and modernised the historic and undulating Milliken Hill Road, Ngwo, with street lights for the first time since its construction in 1909 during the colonial era. The all-important three-kilometre Milliken Hill section of the road is part of the 12-kilometre 9th Mile – Ekochin-Ngwo-Milliken Hill – New Market federal road, recently rehabilitated by the state government, as an alternative route for travelers plying the Enugu-Onitsha Express.
It is on record that the present administration in Enugu State has so far spent over N45 billion on road infrastructures across the state.
The state administration has kept faith with its resolve to complete the hitherto abandoned Enugu International Conference Centre, in a bid to actualise its inherent socio-economic benefits to the state, as the roofing of the edifice nears completion to signal the beginning of the next phase of intervention. In furtherance of its concerted efforts to ensure the completion of the abandoned Enugu International Conference Centre, the Ugwuanyi-led administration has approved the procurement and installation of external glass at the main auditorium of the edifice.
Again, the administration approved the extension of Ibagwa-Aka-Alor Agu Road and additional erosion control works along Ngwo Adaba General Hospital, Ichi Road and Ibagwa-Ichi-Unadu-Alor Agu Road, all in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area.
Also, the administration approved the extension of the installation to the mini-dome at the centre and extension works on the on-going Court of Appeal building to accommodate the litigation/administrative office and basement.
In April 2018, 536 trainees of the second batch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Skill Acquisition Programme were the recipients of N100, 000 seed money each from the state government. The money is to assist them start off their various businesses after attending a free, one-year vocational training.
Also the state government is sponsoring 200 young people from the state to be trained in film-making and other creative ventures by the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). This would help them garner the requisite experience in the rudiments of movie-making, acting, script-writing and production, marketing, among others, to make them self-reliant and, also, targeted at giving the participants the opportunity to learn how to write proposals after training, to access part of the N500 million loan earmarked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the creative industry.
The Ugwuanyi administration recently fulfilled one of its major contributions towards the speedy actualisation of the 100 Housing Units for Nigerian workers, being developed at Ede-Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), in collaboration with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Nigeria Employer’s Consultative Association (NECA) and Enugu State Government under the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme (NAHDP).
Sports
In October 2018, thanks to huge support from the Ugwuanyi administration, the state-sponsored club Enugu Rangers International, reclaimed the Federation Cup which it last won in 1983, 35 years ago. The club had won the trophy five times – 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981 and 1983.
Also, the ‘Flying Antelopes’ (as Rangers International are fondly called) recorded another milestone when it lifted the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) trophy, 32 years after it last won it.
Also, recently, Governor Ugwuanyi paid an unscheduled visit to the long-abandoned Enugu State Games Village – located at Awgu, the headquarters of Awgu Local Government Area.
Taking time to see the rot and the neglect the place had experienced, Ugwuanyi inspected the dilapidated facilities at the centre and promised that his administration would intervene to put the cherished monument to great, public use and the a plan would unfold soon to renovate the classic edifice.
Security and Judicial Reforms
In keeping with the constitution of the country, the Ugwuanyi administration has made frantic efforts towards the security and welfare of the people of the state. Chief among these are the Security/Neigbourhood Watch Endowment Fund and Enugu State Justice Reform Team (ESJRT).
Health
As part of efforts to reposition its health sector for better healthcare services delivery, the Enugu State government has nullified the district health system and adopted the World Health Organisation (WHO) system.
In February 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) congratulated Ugwuanyi for the remarkable growth and success attained by the primary healthcare system in the state, in providing affordable and qualitative healthcare at the grassroots, especially the release of the sum of N12.4 million for the measles’ campaign.
Consequently, one is delighted to note that Gov. Ugwuanyi in his 2019 budget proposal has made adequate provision to sustain and improve on these landmark achievements, which are only the tip of the iceberg of the numerous feats so far recorded in the state. It is, therefore, expected of the citizens of the state to continue to pray, support and protect the solid foundations being laid by the people’s governor to improve on their living standard and fully realise the dreams of the state’s founding fathers.
In four years, Ugwuanyi has given Ndi Enugu hope and, it suffices to say that the next four years will place the state in an enviable position and see her take her rightful place in Nigeria’s comity of states.
