Samson Ezea
Just like the Director of Communication, Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Organisation Enugu Chapter, Bar. Nana Ogbodo said in a recent published interview that March 9 Enugu Governorship/State Assembly elections is a referendum for Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration. It is indeed a referendum, but one, which its outcome is known before it is conducted. This is not complacency or over confidence, but the realities and facts on ground in the state. To the majority voters in the state, the March 9 governorship/ state assembly election is nothing, but a conclusion of the referendum they started for Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration on February 23, when they voted massively for Peoples Democratic Party in the Presidential/ NASS elections, basically because of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s stellar performance in office. The PDP victory in the NASS election is not only massive and impressive, it has shown that PDP is the only party that is on ground in the state and that the All Progressives Congress candidates, who are mainly PDP defectors lacked political following, relevance and base in the state.
So, Nigerians shouldn’t be surprised to see the massive voters’ turnout and the number of votes they will cast for Gov. Ugwuanyi and PDP House of Assembly candidates in the Saturday Governorship and House of Assembly Elections in the state. It is a fact that since Gov. Ugwuanyi assumed office in 2015, he has built a cult followership for his government with his inclusive and transparent leadership style that has endeared him to the people.This is not a happenstance.
It is by dint of the governor’s sheer hardwork and total commitment to his responsibilities as the governor of the state, coupled with his outstanding performance in the face of obvious daunting challenges. This is why to the church leaders, the less privileged, traders, students, artisans, children, parents, youths, entrepreneurs, rural dwellers, Muslims, Christians and even the opposition parties, Gov. Ugwuanyi is an exemplar and caring leader, who cares much about his people’s wellbeing, carries them along and treats them equally. The governor is seen and described by many within and outside the state as water that has no enemy at all. He is not only available always, he is easily accessible, accommodating and humane. That is why the name Gburugburu has become a movement in the state today and almost every resident is now a member. Apart from these, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration, while improving and expanding basic infrastructure in the urban areas, it has taken massive development to the rural areas that were hitherto abandoned for years. This include the impassable Nkalagu-EhaAmufu road in the agrarian community of Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Council Area which was abandoned for more three decades, but is presently being reconstructed by Ugwuanyi’s administration. Already completed and in use now is the Agbani-Amurri road that link Nkanu East and Nkanu West council areas. The road has been unattended to by successive governments for many decades. Also initiated and completed is the Ogonogoeji-Ndiagu-Akpugo road from Atavu bailey bridge to AforOnovo. That is the first state government project in Akpugo since the creation of Enugu State. Across the state, especially in rural areas, more than 700 kilometer roads have been constructed and rehabilitated by the present administration in the state since coming into office. The workers in the state have not only experienced prompt payment of salaries, they have enjoyed 13month salary December every year. The people’s darling club East of the Niger, Enugu Rangers Football Club broke the jinx of not winning silverwares for decades under Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration. Buoyed by Gov. Ugwuanyi’s unflinching support, the Club has won both the National League and FA cup in a spectacular and miraculous manner in last three years plus.
Across the length and breadth of the state, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s remarkable and verifiable achievements stare everybody in the face. There is no denial of this fact by the people of Enugu East, West and North senatorial zones. Their eyes have seen and tongues have confessed in unanimity that Gov. Ugwuanyi has done very well in office and deserves second term to continue his good work.Unlike in the other states, where governance took back seat immediately political campaigns took off, the situation is quite different in Enugu since the campaigns took off. Despite the hectic and distracting nature of campaigns, governance is ongoing in the state smoothly and unhindered, courtesy of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administrative ingenuity, love for the people and vision for good governance.
The governor has apart from holding the weekly exco meeting, creates time to visit sites of ongoing projects in the state. He works till the wee hours of night to ensure that all issues that affect the state are properly addressed and attended to urgently. He draws a parallel line between governance and politics. Just two weeks ago, the governor gave approval for the recruitment of additional 1000 unemployed youths to clean up the state under the Enugu Clean Team Project. This is in addition to the 1000 youths that had been earlier recruited into the project on the approval of the state government under Ugwuanyi’s watch. This happening at a time most state governors are busy struggling to get money to pay workers’ salaries, contest election and attend to other government’s financial obligations, says a lot about Ugwuanyi’s personality and what he represents in public office. It is this uncommon gesture of the governor that spurred the beneficiaries of the scheme to recently celebratea mass at the Holy Ghost Cathedral Enugu for the governor’s reelection and more successes in his future engagements.
Also in the same vein, a delegation of pensioners of Enugu State, who have benefitted from the monthly 100m naira approval by Ugwuanyi’s administration for the payment of arrears of gratuities from May 2018, recently paid a Thank-You visit to the governor for rescuing them in time of need. The beneficiaries, who described gratuity as the life-wire of every retiree, in an address presented by the state chairman of Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) Comrade Damian Udeani, praised God for using Ugwuanyi to perform miracle in their lives.
It is on record that before Ugwuanyi’s assumption of office, workers and pensioners were being owed backlog of salaries and gratuities in the state. While some local council areas were owing workers between five to seven month salaries, others owed between ten to fifteen months. Pensioners were last paid their gratuities in 2006. While Ugwuanyi’s administration has cleared the backlog of workers’ salaries and is paying them 13th month every December; the governor in his magnanimity and usual kind gesture, set aside 100m naira monthly to gradually clear the backlog of pensioners’ gratuities in the state.
Ezea writes from Independence Layout, Enugu State