The Second Term: Ugwuanyi to build on laid foundation

The Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was sworn-in for a second term alongside his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo on May 29, 2019.

Ugwuanyi, whose journey to the Lion Building formally commenced in 2014, following his unanimous endorsement as the consensus candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has remained grateful to God and also to the people of the state for their show of love, solidarity and support. Ugwuanyi, who later won the 2015 governorship election with a landslide, became the most popular political leader in the history of Enugu State.

Consequently, he was sworn in as the third Executive Governor of Enugu State on May 29, 2015, when the nation’s economy was in recession and confronted with other economic challenges occasioned by the drastic drop in the crude oil prices in the international market. These economic adversities affected allocations to states from the federation account.

More worrisome was that Enugu State was among the worst hit, considering its position as third from the bottom of the revenue allocation chart and predominantly a civil service state with high expectations for rapid socio-economic expansion in view of its enviable status as the historical capital of the Eastern Region, old Anambra State and old Enugu State.

The governor was also faced with sundry issues of inherited debt profile and other huge wage bills to be serviced as well as management of the political space in the state, considering that his party, the PDP, lost power at the national level after 16 years. All these challenges were a source of worry, which required drastic approach and a clear-cut intervention to move the state forward.

The governor, being a God-fearing leader, team player, bridge builder, peace-maker, finance management expert, consummate politician and visionary leader, remained undaunted and committed to the speedy actualisation of his administration’s well-thought-out programmes for the people of the state, as contained in its four-point agenda.

The governor’s antecedents as a three-term member of the House of Representatives and two-term Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport as well as former Chief Executive Officer of Premier Brokers Limited – a prime insurance broking firm in the Southeast geo-political zone, owned by the five states of the zone and African Continental Bank (ACB) – also strengthened his courage to successfully guide the state through the economic crunch.

For instance, Gov. Ugwuanyi in his 2015 inaugural address stated that the economic melt-down then was “another great opportunity for Enugu State and indeed Nigeria to look inwards and harness those potentials which free oil money has blinded us from exploiting,” resting his faith in God’s miracle of five loaves and two fish.

Besides the nation’s economic challenges, the governor expressed gratitude to God for the grace to “take up the gauntlet of the struggle for the emancipation of the Wawa man from where our heroes past stopped”, saying: “It can only be God, for it is He who raises the poor from the ash heap and makes him to inherit a throne of honour”.

In actualising these inspirational visions,  Gov. Ugwuanyi recommitted himself to his four-point agenda to take Enugu State to the next level and promised that his administration will “deploy government services to create fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen to make a living and create wealth, educate our children, and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment”.

Four years down the line, one is glad to state with great honour that Gov. Ugwuanyi, through his new ethos of leadership, anchored on peace and good governance, has religiously and effectively delivered on these promises. He has remained committed to the principles of transparency, accountability, due process and prudent management of the state’s lean resources.

He has, through his administration’s adherence to fiscal discipline, peace and grassroots development initiatives, successfully delivered democracy dividends to the doorsteps of the people of Enugu State.

He has, through his administration’s rural development policy, one-community-one-project initiative and a great deal of passion for the wellbeing of the masses, remembered the long-neglected communities in the state in line with his firm belief that the greatest objective of government is to alleviate the suffering of the people. His government has also made a veritable mark in all other sectors of development, which have impacted the lives of the people positively.

While workers’ salaries and pensions are paid regularly with or without receipt of statutory allocations from the federation account – even at the time 27 states could not pay – the 13th month salary was also extended to them as Christmas bonus.

On road construction and rehabilitation, the Ugwuanyi administration has covered about 400 kilometres, spread across the state with signature projects such as the remodeled ancient, historic and undulating Milliken Hill road – a tourist attraction and state’s natural roller coaster; the Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway; the Ebonyi River Bridge, Ikem; the Udenu Ring road; Iva Valley road, Enugu. Others include the Nkalagu-Eha Amufu road, neglected for over 35 years and the Amurri road in Nkanu West Local Government Area constructed for a hitherto neglected community that has not experienced any form of government development on its land in the past 100 years, etc.

The state government’s infrastructural revolution has been unprecedented and indeed recorded a huge success in expanding development to the frontiers of the rural areas.

Recently, Enugu State was rated by the World Bank Group as the second most advanced state in Nigeria towards the frontier of global good practices with regards to Ease of Doing Business. Through the impressive increase in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile, as a result of far reaching reforms introduced in the sector by the governor, Enugu State has remained on top as one of the few states in the country that can survive without allocations from the federation account, among other outstanding ratings.

Other areas the governor has left visible impact include the monthly traders’ empowerment scheme, in which 3,600 genuine traders of the state have so far been empowered with the sum of N50, 000 each, to grow their various businesses; the empowerment of over 750 youths in skills acquisition under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme; the engagement of over 2000 youths to clean up the state under the Enugu Clean Team Project; recruitment of over 4000 primary and secondary schools teachers, with additional 1,500 for primary education among others.

In view of these, which represent just a tip of the iceberg of the great achievements recorded so far by the Ugwuanyi’s administration, the good news about his second term inauguration is that the governor, through the details of the 2019 budget and his post-election actions has displayed renewed vigor and firm commitment to continue and consolidate on the solid foundation laid in the last four years.

It is therefore, expected of the people of Enugu State to continue to pray for the governor and give him the usual maximum support and cooperation to take the state to greater heights. This is in line with the dreams of the founding fathers for Enugu State is truly in hands of God.

• Amoke writes from Enugu