There is something about voices in the wind; it can never be heard. This is because no sane person shouts in the wind. The result is all too familiar; the wind carries the sound of the voice to and fro, without carrying it to its destination. You only shout in the wind to fulfill all righteousness, satisfy one’s paymasters and not in a bid to be heard.
When I read voices in the wind against His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, by some cynics, wailers and rabble-rousers, this was the sinking feeling I usually have. First of all, the names are usually faceless, fictitious, in the sense that they are not known and mostly unpopular, but all the same, I have decided to respond to whosoever that is hiding under the voices in the wind.
It behoves on one to reason that in a bid to intone the thoughts of some wailers-sponsors, they blatantly referred to the governor as ‘not performing’. This is insulting as it is false, I make bold to say that Governor Ugwuanyi has earned every accolade, credit, goodwill and vote he garnered in the last four years and more. He does not need the meaningless stamp of pessimists and their ilk. It is not a sign of approval, for they do not speak for the people of Enugu.
For some inane reason, the Covenant-Breaker thinks it is governor-like and classy for Gov. Ugwuanyi to hug the kleiglights and always parade himself, in order to show that he is with the people and feel their pain. Hogwash. A leader is not known by his public speeches, and what-not; he is known for his action and body language.
Gov. Ugwuanyi has made campaign speeches across the 17-LGAs of Enugu State, prior to his emergence on May 29th, 2015 as governor; he repeated same fit in the 2019 that gave him an overwhelming result, and he won the election with 95.54 per cent of valid votes cast.
You claimed that Gov. Ugwuanyi has not address Ndi Enugu at the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, that he hardly make speech to address Ndi Enugu as their governor. First of all, I will not dignify you by mentioning your name in this rejoinder.
If I may ask you, Mr. Speech-Maker or whatever you preferred to be called under Covid-19. Where were you when Gov. Ugwuanyi on the 15th of March, 2020 made release of funds for emergency response on the first suspected Covid-19 in Enugu which later came out negative? His Excellency asked the people not to panic, reiterating the state government readiness to contain the scourge of Covid-19 and other health challenges.
Following the suspected case of Corona Virus in Enugu, Gov. Ugwuanyi took proactive steps, approved N320m, relocated state Isolation Centre to ESUT Teaching Hospital. Where were you on the 19th of March when Enugu state government called for closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools, directs public places to observe highest level of personal hygiene as part of proactive safety measures arising from the global Coronavirus pandemic?
Where were you on the 24th of March, when Governor Ugwuanyi addressed Ndi Enugu on COVID-19 pandemic, shuts down all educational institutions in the state; suspends all cultural and social gatherings including marriage ceremonies, burial ceremonies, masquerade festivals, drinking bars, night clubs and all group sporting and recreational activities; directs all public officers/civil servants to work from their homes except health workers, Forest Guards, Neighbourhood Watch personnel, Water Corporation staff, Waste Management operatives, staff of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, Fire Fighters and all those involved in other essential services?
Where were you in Enugu on the 25th of March, when Gov. Ugwuanyi ordered Enugu MDAs, LG Chairmen kick-off awareness campaigns in compliance with the proactive safety measures adopted by the Enugu State Government in response to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) ravaging the world?
Where were you, when Gov. Ugwuanyi in a state broadcast approved assurance package for doctors and other health workers; mobilizes Volunteers, Town Criers for enlightenment campaign in rural areas in furtherance of his resolve to strengthen the state’s response to Corona Virus Disease pandemic? He approved the immediate provision of Group Life/Group Personal Accident Assurance Policy for all medical doctors in the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu.
Where were you on the 27th of March when Gov. Ugwuanyi ordered the closure of all land borders and inter-state transportation in the state till further notice, with effect from 6pm on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, except those on medical emergency services?
Where were you on the 1st of April when Gov. Ugwuanyi through the state ministry of health designated State Medical Diagnostic Centre as additional Isolation Centre, activates more Centres at ESUT-TH Parklane, Nsukka; Shuts down Ogbete Market for non-compliance in furtherance of its sustained efforts to strengthen all the proactive safety measures earlier instituted as well as the capacity of the State Health Care System to contain the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic?
Where were you on the 2nd of April when Enugu State Fire Service embarked on decontamination, fumigation of Enugu metropolis, environs, in keeping with the directives of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State as part of the proactive safety measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic?
Where were you in Enugu State on the 11th of April been Easter Day, when Gov. Ugwuanyi addressed Ndi Enugu, in his speech titled “Maka Odinamma Anyi”in view of the coronavirus disease (covid-19) pandemic ravaging the world?
I believe you were not blind nor deaf on the 7th of April when Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) commends Enugu State government’s efforts in response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, when they visited Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu. The NCDC team, led by Tajudeen Arowolo, after an interactive session with Gov. Ugwuanyi and the leader of the State Multi-Sectoral Rapid Response Team, Dr. Ifeanyi Agujiobi, expressed satisfaction with the proactive safety measures put in place by the Enugu State Government to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Mr. Speech-Maker, are you also unaware that Enugu State Government has directed all Tricycle Operators in the state, popularly known as “Keke Riders”, to limit their operating time between 6am and 7pm daily; directs Council Chairmen, Councilors, Neighborhood Watch Groups, Youths, others to man land boundaries and subsequently declared that all precautionary measures put in place in the state to contain the spread of Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), remain in force, in the overall public interest?
To say the least, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi I know has made speeches on May Day, Democracy Day, Easter, Christmas, Children’s Day and, even, on the Corona Virus pandemic. What more do you and your sponsors want him to do? Make speeches daily? In this fight against the dreaded virus, the power of a nation/state/people does not lie in making speeches. It lies in action. Some politicians make speeches daily, but, as anyone of reason can see, they are just sessions of ridicule and embarrassment. Does it say anything about how the war against the virus is being won? No. Is it an indicator of how much making speech is winning the fight against the spread of covid-19 pandemic? No. All the wonderful orators you mentioned in your ‘letter’ have been able to speak daily since the pandemic but, have they won the war? We can all tell. It is understandable why President Buhari should address the people; Nigeria has recorded an alarming 2000 cases and more in less than a month. It is understandable why Sanwo-Olu and Ganduje should address Lagosians and the people of Kano daily; their states have found themselves on a cliff and, while I do not propose for Enugu State to find itself in these dire straits, I think, with all objectivity, that the governor is doing just enough, without creating unnecessary panic.
What the people of Enugu need is not empty speeches and even more vague promises; they need action and Ugwuanyi is delivering on that, to be candid.
In furtherance of its commitment to contain the Corona Virus (COVID-19) in the state, as well as cushion its effect on the lives of the citizens, the Enugu State Government paid the salaries of all public servants in the state on April 23, 2020. Additionally, it paid the allowance for all health workers in the state, to the tune of 25% of their basic salaries as recently approved by the State Executive Council (EXCO), as incentive.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Tuesday 5th of May, designated and repurposed the facility at its state-of-the-art medical diagnostic center in Enugu to enhance the state’s preparedness and capacity for isolation and treatment of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) patients, “should the state experience a proliferation of the disease”.
Just recently, Enugu State Government in furtherance of its efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the state launched the distribution of one million units of fabric face masks to its residents across the 17 local government areas for protection, free of charge. The face masks were produced by the state government using fabrics supplied and sewed by indigenous traders and trained tailors respectively as a means of socio-economic empowerment.
Gov. Ugwuanyi has visited all land boundaries in Enugu to ensure strict compliance with the state government’s closure of all land boundaries and inter-state transportation as well as the Presidential directive on curfew across the country; charges religious leaders and residents to obey NCDC’s regulations.
Enugu State is the gateway to many states in the South and the measures put in place to combat the spread of the virus in the state have proved exceptional and efficient.
Governance is about a functional structure with effective and responsive chain of command, not speech-making. Every person of action would rather Ugwuanyi distances himself from making bogus speeches and get into action on how to stop the spread of the virus in Enugu, while protecting the people of the state.
Why wailers and their paymasters would rather have it otherwise is baffling as it is unreasonable.
Perhaps, this is one of the ploys to discredit the governor. These are voices in the wind and foolishness taking too far. Perhaps, when the good wind is done blowing in 2023, they can shout into the wind and be heard. For now, they can sit back and hold still. Let the governor do the work he was elected for, without needless distractions from the wailers, cynics, pessimists and their puppet-masters.
Ugwuanyi is neither a rabble-rouser, nor does he need to be lousy, vituperating and vibrating unnecessarily to catch the attention and get pass-marks from wailers and their sponsors. He is an action governor, a result-oriented man, who has placed Enugu State in the hands of God and does not need to panic.
Hon. Prince Humphrey Onyima is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State on Media and Public Affairs, Director – Enugu West General Assembly, EWGA.
