Last Sunday, December 12, former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Iyom Bianca Ojukwu, presented a Citation of the Enugu State governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi, on the occasion of the presentation of the Humanitarian Award to the governor at the Silver Jubilee Carol and Gospel Festival organised by Christ The King Parish, GRA, Enugu. Below is the Citation by Ambassador Ojukwu entitled; “Governor Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi: A Compassionate Leader, “
The recipient of the CKP Jubilee Year’s Lifetime Humanitarian Award is none other than His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi, the governor of Enugu State.
His exemplary dedication to the wellbeing and rescue of the less privileged and distressed citizens of the state in particular and in the larger society underscores his unrelenting quest for justice, equity, fair play and most importantly, restoration.
Time and time again, he has managed to accelerate the dividends of governance to the doorsteps of the masses and has led the state to an enviable height with his grassroots focused and people-oriented approach to governance.
His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is being honoured today, not for his brick and mortar infrastructural development of the state; not for his acclaimed economic and fiscal prowess; not for the peace and security that reign in the state under his administration nor for his rapid urbanization of the rural areas, but for this keen sense of compassion and empathy.
Governor Ugwuanyi’s governance style centres on the commitment to employing equity and due diligence in the bureaucratic process and in the execution of the state’s functions in such a way as to ensure that the poor, the downtrodden and vulnerable citizens in the state are not left behind.
So many instances come to mind, in this aspect, and if we begin to recount each and every one of his humanitarian interventions, we may be engaged right into the small hours of the morning so we shall highlight just a few of these interventions that by the grace of God, has given us all an opportunity today to say ‘thank you’ to this uncommon and God fearing leader.
Just a couple of weeks ago, he rallied to the support of Mrs Augustina Eze, the woman whose seven-year-old son was killed by her husband for money rituals. He assured the grief stricken mother that his government will do everything within its power to guarantee that she and her remaining children do not suffer, whilst providing financial support and an undertaking that justice will surely be done in the matter.
Governor Ugwuanyi’s commitment to the welfare of the neglected and downtrodden was also manifested in his swift response to the ordeal of little Nneoma Nnadi, a maid who was brutalized by her guardians.
The governor’s intervention in this sad episode provided in no small measure, a lifeline to this traumatized little girl . He proceeded to cover her medical treatment, rehabilitation as well as to provide financial support and scholarship up to university level for Nneoma.
This altruistic leader has also demonstrated great concern for the plight of widows in the state and continues to offer assistance to them. Recently, he gave automatic employment to widows of policemen killed by unknown gunmen. Prior to this, he had donated millions in empowerment grant to 96 widows of fallen soldiers residing in Abakpa and Awkunanaw barracks to enable them start up businesses of their choice to ameliorate their sufferings. Little wonder that the Widows International Ministries paid a solidarity visit to the governor recently, to express their appreciation for his benevolence and constant support.
Governor Ugwuanyi is ever ready to throw his weight even behind notable personalities who have fallen on hard times. Not long ago, he visited iconic highlife musician, Mike Ejeagha, who had been ill, and undertook the payment of his medical bills whilst granting automatic employment to his daughter. He equally extended this gesture to the son of Rangers football legend, Christian Chukwu when he paid him a convalescence visit.
His Excellency recently came to the rescue of the family of Enugu Rangers striker, George Ifeanyi Onwubiko who met an untimely death in a ghastly motor accident in Edo State on his way to Lagos, and provided a cheque of N20 million to cover a life insurance policy which his administration graciously approved for the deceased player. This insurance policy also covers each player and official of Enugu Rangers Football Club.
A responsive leader, Governor Ugwuanyi has made countless interventions on behalf of the unjustly incarcerated by his timely amnesty interventions, as well as undertaken rescue missions to aid indigent hospital patients. As a matter of fact, during his 57th birthday recently, he rallied his friends in a rare philanthropy feat, to pay the hospital bills of indigent patients in both federal and state-owned, as well as faith-based hospitals in Enugu State to the tune of N30 million. He had also paid a visit to Parklane Hospital Enugu where he paid the medical bills of all hospitalized children who had been discharged, but their parents could not afford their bills.
Governor Ugwuanyi’s benevolence shines through equally in the education arena as he continues to grant scholarships to countless citizens of the state. He recently approved scholarship for seven Enugu youths into some of the best universities in the United States of America in line with his mentorship initiatives and his Human Capital Development agenda. He also offered scholarship to Enugu’s first indigenous drone maker a week ago, as well as to students of Government Technical College who built two aircraft, in order to encourage technology based innovation in the state.
Ever committed to alleviating the suffering of the people, Governor Ugwuanyi was quick to come to the assistance of Enugu State students in UNIJOS who were caught up in the Jos crisis in August this year.
He promptly galvanized a rescue team to evacuate 135 students stranded there to safety in their respective places of abode.
Your Excellency, how can we forget how quickly you rose to the occasion when 68 Enugu market traders lost their shops in an inferno which engulfed the Amigbo market in Obiagu. You were right there at the scene to offer the state government’s assistance, giving the sum of N100,000 to each and every one of the victims and went further to rebuild their shops.
Your words of consolation on that sad day sum up your unequaled humanitarian approach to governance: ‘I came here to console and share with you in your moment of pain’, you said. ‘I know how you are feeling. As a governor whom you elected, what affects you affects me too. When you mourn I follow you in mourning. What affects you affects all of us in Enugu State. I am here, therefore, to put smiles on your faces. All of the affected should come to Government House for immediate payment’.
This statement in a nutshell encapsulates the compassionate bedrock for this award.
Your Excellency, in this season of joy, of love and the benevolence of our Lord Jesus who was born to save mankind, CKP pays tribute to your giant strides in promoting peace, good governance and sheer humanism in society. You have indeed injected substance to the maxim that ‘Enugu State is in the hands of God’.
This is a humanitarian award with a difference. It comes with a special prize. When the news made the rounds regarding the upcoming presentation of this award, many of those whom you had assisted in one way or the other, most especially the less privileged beneficiaries of your large heart , themselves wholeheartedly offered to, and contributed their widow’s mites in addition to this prize, in sums ranging from N2,000 to N20,000. These include traders whose shops were gutted by fire whom you gave a lifeline by rebuilding their shops and giving them financial support to start anew, indigent widows that you also supported financially to start up businesses, some that are graduates today and have jobs and a better life because you gave them scholarships, those you facilitated their training and offered employment, several folks you paid their hospital bills and many, especially youths and market women, that you started up or supported their businesses. Some of these beneficiaries have raised a total sum of N203,000, which is tonight also being presented to you along with the award. They describe this sum as their widow’s mite, but which nevertheless comes from a vault within their hearts, of unquantifiable gratitude. Many of them are tonight seated here in this audience and I will shortly call some of them out as they have requested, to personally express their gratitude . These beneficiaries are here also to pray that as you stood with them in their hour of need, that the Almighty God may do the same for you.
On behalf of the Bishop of Enugu Diocese, the Parish Priest and Administrator, Christ the King Parish, Assistant Priests, the Silver Jubilee Committee and all Parishioners, I hereby present to Your Excellency, The CKP Jubilee Lifetime Humanitarian Award.
God bless and keep you.