From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
Activities in the various states of the federation reached a crescendo during the week, as most of the governors made efforts to showcase the dividends they have been able to deliver to their people in the last two years.
In Enugu State, the 17 local government areas came alive on Tuesday, as Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi asked members of the state executive council to return to their various communities to inaugurate projects.
Ugwuanyi had, in October last year, kicked off over 35 capital projects to be executed simultaneously in the state’s 17 local government areas. Last Tuesday, 26 of them were commissioned amid excitement and cheers from the people of the state.
The signs that Ugwuanyi was on the right track to give his people good governance started to show last year, as he was inundated with accolades from various groups, organisations and individuals.
One of the biggest accolades came from the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, when the members recently visited Enugu on legislative oversight to scrutinise the utilisation of bailout funds to the state.
The visiting senators said that Ugwuanyi, who used to be a parliamentarian, had utilised the Federal Government’s bailout funds released to his state judiciously and in line with the principles of accountability.
According to the committee’s chairman, Senator Abdullahi Gumel, the senators’ scrutiny of the state’s records revealed that Ugwuanyi was transparent and prudent in the use of the funds in a way the committee had not experienced anywhere they had visited.
“We have gone through the books and, as far as the bailout funds are concerned, everything is in order. In fact, Enugu State has even gone further because we haven’t seen this in any other state. We are not doing it because he was our colleague; we are doing it because we have seen with our eyes. This is an innovation and we are reflecting it in our report. We are proud of him,” Gumel said.
Away from his colleagues from the National Assembly, his people in the state have at the different times appreciated Ugwuanyi for what he is doing for the state. They have, in most cases, gathered to deepen his Dunu Gburugburu title at the zonal levels, beginning with the Nsukka zone.
In some zones, they have launched the Gburugburu Movement, a socio-political organisation that is keeping the Ugwuanyi political spirit alive at the grassroots.
In religious circles, the governor has received many accolades from the Anglican, Catholic and Pentecostal congregations.
The Cathedral Church of Good Shepherd, Anglican Communion, Enugu, conferred on him the Outstanding Public Servant Award in recognition of his achievements in office, especially in the areas of good governance and infrastructural development, during the 25th anniversary celebration of the cathedral.
Primate of the Anglican Church, Most Reverend Nicholas, at the event, extolled the leadership qualities of Ugwuanyi, saying that he personally came to the church to receive the award was a demonstration of his commitment to God, humble disposition and indication that the state was in good hands.
The primate said that the massive infrastructural development in Enugu State and the people-oriented programmes of the governor had no doubt enhanced the well-being of the people of the state.
In his hometown, the Anglican Church is also happy with the governor, as the Diocese of Nsukka, Anglican Communion, gave him an award of excellence for his contributiond to the social and economic development of the state.
The award, which was the first to be conferred on any person by the church, came during the thanksgiving service to mark the Second Session of the 8th Synod held at Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Nsukka.
Delivering a sermon at the synod, the Bishop of Enugu North Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Sosthenes Eze, praised Ugwuanyi for his people-oriented programmes, saying that his performance in office propelled the church to give him the award.
In the Catholic Church, the story was the same, as the leaders of the church in Enugu State have expressed satisfaction with the performance of Ugwuanyi so far.
The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Calistus Onaga, extolled the leadership style of Governor Ugwuanyi, particularly in the areas of infrastructural development.
Onaga, who spoke in a sermon during the Carol of Nine Lessons held at the Holy Ghost Cathedral Parish Church, Enugu, last year, poured encomiums on Ugwuanyi for his remarkable achievements on roads, security and other infrastructural facilities, pointing out that his action has improved the welfare of the people in great measure.
The bishop described Ugwuanyi’s unfailing ability to pay workers’ salaries in the state, as well as providing social amenities in the face of dwindling federal allocations to states, as modern day miracles.
Another award from the Catholic Church came from the Catholic Institute of Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), which appreciated the governor for his commitment to human development.
The institute gave the award to Ugwuanyi as it celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Director of the institute, Rev Fr. Dr. Chinedu Anieke noted that CIDJAP as a social organ of the Catholic Church was committed to the implementation of its teachings on human development and well-being.
Also, the fiery priest and Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Emene, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, did not mince words during the Holy Mass organised to inaugurate the 2016/2017 Legal Year of the Enugu State Judiciary held at his ministry when he declared that Ugwuanyi had demonstrated an exemplary display of visionary leadership.
Rev. Mbaka noted that Ugwuanyi’s administration has enthroned peace across the state and united diverse political interests. He urged the people to continue to support the administration because it has been anointed by God.
Not to be left out, the Pentecostal churches, which also declared that Ugwuanyi has done well in Enugu.
Spiritual Director of Jesus Never Fails Prayer Ministry Worldwide, Evangelist Nkem Adu, described Ugwuanyi as a God-fearing leader who has dedicated his service to the emancipation of the poor and less privileged in the society.
Adu, who spoke during the one-day crusade of her ministry in Enugu, staged to commemorate her birthday, expressed surprise that the governor could cater for the well-being of the poor, carry out people-oriented programmes that have impacted positively on the lives of rural dwellers and still pay workers’ salaries on or before the 25th of every month.
Indeed, workers in Enugu State, had, at the last May Day celebration, conferred on Ugwuanyi the laurel of the “Most Labour-friendly Governor in the History of Enugu State.”
The workers said that the award was in recognition of his administration’s development strides and commitment to their welfare, despite the severe economic crisis in the country.
Visibly excited, like other workers in the state, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Virginus Nwobodo, commended Ugwuanyi for his feat in the prudent and transparent management of the Paris Club refund, especially the use of 100 per cent of the local governments’ share of the fund to offset the arrears of council workers’ salaries and some pension arrears owed pensioners in the 17 councils of the state, saying that the governor has been labour-friendly.
Nwobodo was not alone in the commendation of the governor as the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, also lauded the governor for “the transparent disbursement of the N4.2 billion bailout fund for arrears of salaries and pensions of the state public servants and the ongoing massive infrastructural development in parts of Enugu metropolis and across the 17 local government areas of the state” aimed at opening up more rural areas for socio-economic expansion.
Also happy with the governor are students from the state, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Enugu State chapter.
The students conferred on him the award of “Most Student-friendly Governor” in the country, in recognition of his humble disposition, visionary leadership and commitment to the welfare of the students in particular and youths in general.
The award was presented to the governor at the Enugu State Students Mentorship Summit tagged, “A Day with the Governor”, which was organized by the state chapter of NANS.
Also The Authority, a Nigerian daily, in its 2016 awards, honoured Ugwuanyi with the “Award for Excellence and Good Governance in theAreas of Development and Infrastructure.”
According to the Managing Director of the newspaper, Mr Madu Onuorah, the gesture was in recognition of the governor’s development strides in the state in the face of daunting economic challenges in the country.
Onuorah had also noted that the award was to honour Ugwuanyi’s exemplary leadership style anchored on good governance, fear of God and regard for the well-being of the people.
The Enugu Local Government Newsmagazine conferred on Ugwuanyi its Man of the Year 2016 Award in recognition of his outstanding performance in office.
Presenting the award, the Deputy Chairman of the Editorial Board of the magazine, Rev. Fr. Emeka Ngwoke, noted that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s choice was based on his humble disposition, sound vision and ability to tackle issues of governance that impact positively on the lives of the people.
Dissecting the several awards given to the governor in the last two years, a prominent politician and lawyer in the state, Mr Humphrey Nwodo, said that the awards are all in order, as the governor deserved and merited them.
“Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has performed wonderfully well. He has built roads in all nooks and crannies of the state.
“The interesting aspect of it is that he is doing the urban and rural roads simultaneously, and these are rural roads that were before now neglected. I do also wonder how he was able to achieve those feats in view of the current economic recession. Some states that have far more allocations than Enugu State do not match his achievements,” he said.
“Aside from road construction, he is very prompt in the payment of workers’ salary. So, it was in order that the workers at May Day crowned him the ‘Most Labour-friendly Governor.’
Nwodo, therefore, insisted that Ugwuanyi has greatly justified all the accolades he has so far received from organisations and individuals.
Also, human rights groups and activists have given Ugwuanyi a pass mark in the last two years.
A formidable voice in Nigeria’s civil society and the Life Patron of the Coalition of Civil Society and Human Rights Activists of Enugu State Origin, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said Ugwuanyi really deserved commendations for his exploits in the last two years.
Chief Ezugwu, is also the convener of Save Enugu Group (SEG), convener and national coordinator of the South East Revival Group (SERG), as well as the secretary general of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP).
He said: “To make a proper assessment of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration in the last two years, you must understand that Enugu State has been largely dependent on federal allocation and has no oil wells. So, the administration of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi inherited a civil servant state, where internally-generated revenue was nothing to write home about. Worse still, he became a governor at a time Nigeria was in recession with dwindling federal allocation.
“But it will shock you that the governor in the last two years, despite the daunting economic challenges, has surpassed the achievement of many governors in eight years. If you visit Enugu State and get to the rural communities, you will understand what I am talking about.”
According to Ezugwu, when the CNPP Chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, visited Nsukka and its environs some months ago, “he was overwhelmed and he confessed that what he saw in terms of infrastructure and the quality of roads the governor is building is of international standard.
“In fact, Alhaji Balarabe Musa declared that Governor Ugwuanyi’s achievement in one local government alone is more than what has been done in the whole of Kaduna State. And you know my leader, he will not say it even at gunpoint if it was not so.”
Indeed, the governor had in his inaugural speech in 2015 pledged to “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.”
He also promised the people that Enugu State under his watch would “pay special attention to rural development because the majority of our people live in the rural areas.”
He said his administration would create more urban areas to boost economic growth, specifically promising that “Nsukka, a university town founded over half a century ago and the second largest town in the state, must be equipped and modernised to compete with other university towns in attracting technology and knowledge-based businesses and other industrial support ventures.”
Two years down the road, many people insist that Ugwuanyi has kept his promises, as he has delivered in the education sector, agriculture, regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensions/workers’ welfare, peace initiatives, security, mass housing scheme, investment promotion/economic recovery, employment generation, enhanced social services and good governance, prudent management of resources, among others.