~By Onuorah Ndubuisi Godwin
The very concept of rural development entails the processes of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in the rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated.
Global experts on the subject matter have come to note that Education, Entrepreneurship, Physical infrastructure etc, play an important roles in the development of rural areas and regions.
Traditionally, rural development has been centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as Agriculture and Forestry.
However, changes in global production networks and increased urbanization have replaced resource extraction and to some extent, Agriculture as dominant economic growth drivers.
The very need for rural communities in Enugu State to approach rural development from a wider perspective have created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentives for Agriculture or resource based businesses.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi being a policy maker of global reputation, have imbibed three major dimensions.
Namely:
(1) ECONOMIC DIMENSION
(2) SOCIAL DIMENSION
(3) POLITICAL DIMENSION
ECONOMIC DIMENSION: This Economic dimension encompasses providing both capacity and opportunities, For the poor and low income households. All the three dimensions benefits from the economic dimension.
SOCIAL DIMENSION:This is the one responsible for the Social development of poor and low income households. It promotes gender equality, women empowerment and provides social safety nets for the vulnerable groups.
POLITICAL DIMENSION:This dimension improves the opportunities for the poor and low income people in the rural areas, to effectively and equally participate in the political processes, especially at the village/ community levels.
The notion of rural development have been conceived in different ways by uncountable number of researchers, ranging from the thinking or regarding it as a set of goals and programmes to a well-knit Strategy, approach or even ideology.
But for Gburugburu,he is naturally aligned with the widely accepted and widely shared view that the entire essence should be poverty alleviation and distributive oriented economic transformation.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi aptly imbibed the economic dimension through the instrumentality of such policy tools as the Enugu State SME centre, the Agricultural Development Programme (CADP), the Enugu State Woman And Youth Empowerment ( WYEP-APPEALS), the FADAMA 1 to III alongside the counterpart fundings.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi provided excellent rural roads network in the rural areas. Especially in the mostly neglected areas by the previous administrations. Such places like the Opi-Nsukka dual carriage way and the adjoining areas, the Ogonogo-Eji Akpugo in Nkanu West local government area of Enugu East Senatorial District, the Atavu bailey bridge, the inyama bridge, the Amuri roads, the isiuzo Nkalagu road networks in the Enugu East Senatorial District. Awgu and Oji River local government areas in Enugu West Senatorial District respectively.
Most of the above mentioned rural area roads were done in places that have never witnessed any Government presence for over a 100 years in their political history. I:e ; Akpugo Ogonogo-Eji Ndi-agu, Amuri roads etc
On the social dimension, Governor Ugwuanyi have tactically promoted gender equality in these years of his Administration’s lifetime. Balancing the equation of women empowerment with economic empowerment and political appointments. Enugu State under the Governor have trained countless number of women and Youths in Agricultural businesses, information communication technology (ICT) Engineering and other sundry ventures including partnership with notable global organizations in the provision of certain social welfare functions and policies such as the recent partnership with the prestigious Oxford university, the world Bank partnership with APPEALS etc.
The political dimension saw our beloved Governor taking the political powers from the cabals and returning same to the ordinary people (original owners). Shattering some rock- solid political foundations and moulds which seemed to have been cast in iron concrete before now.
Political hegemonies have gradually disappeared, replaced by the time proven model of Youth inclusion in Governance, effective distribution of political patronage, elimination of unpopular and outdated methods of politicking, huge and committed investments from time to time on the Security architecture of Enugu State coupled with marketing the concept of peace to the entire political elites of the state and so on. Systematically and diligently sweeping the landscape with a new broom.
These sustainable efforts put in place for the transformation of the rural areas have boldly began to achieve the set objectives, especially in improved living standards by sufficient food production. Enugu State under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is now a proud producer of rice, cassava,fishery, poultry, piggery, snail,honey etc, with export potentials. These have equally trickled down to employment generation in the various Agricultural segments and value chains.
All these put together have vigorously increased productivity in the rural areas, thereby tackling the incidence of poverty.
This is simply possible because, unlike most administrations before now, as a Sound internationally recognized policy maker and executioner, Ugwuanyi involved the people in planning, development through their participation in decision making.
Under Gburugburu, communities in the rural areas were asked to choose a project of their choice, termed “one community, one project”
The records are there!
The sheer determination to succeed spurred the Workaholic Governor of Enugu State to go ahead in adopting sound and timeless strategies which consisted an inward-looking ordered numerous policy parameters to attain these desired goals.
Some of these included strict adherence to the local content policy of the Nigerian National Economic Empowerment And Development Strategy ( NEEDS) document. Which have invariably boosted the Enugu State aggregate demand, thereby stabilizing the local economy.
Ugwuanyi’s rural development agenda also included distributive justice and equalization of opportunities in the state society. Having tactically and dutifully sited the state’s new springing tertiary institutions within the three Senatorial Zones of the state. The State polytechnic Iwolo, Ezeagu. The university of Education, Ihe, Awgu. The ESUT Teaching Hospital Igbo-Eno Nsukka and ESUT Agbani. All these are Economic growth drivers and bonafide time provable part of the rural transformation agenda.
Finally, the soft sounds of plaudits for the Enugu State Government under Gburus will surely live more in the minds of posterity. And with this I say, give me a political leader who loves his subjects like Governor Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, I’ll proclaim him my saint.
ENUGU STATE IS IN THE HAND OF GOD!
Onuorah Ndubuisi Godwin is the Technical Assistant To The Executive Governor of Enugu State on Media and Strategic Communications.
And Media Director of the Enugu West General Assembly (EWGA).
