Few days ago, workers in the 17 local government councils in Enugu State, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and LG pensioners, during a solidarity rally, unanimously endorsed Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as their candidate for the 2019 governorship election in the state.
At the colorful rally, which was attended by the National President of NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, the workers and retirees in an address delivered by the union’s state President, Comrade Kenneth Ugwueze, disclosed that the endorsement was “in appreciation of peace and good governance in Enugu State” and the governor’s “undeterred friendly disposition to labour”.
They stated that Ugwuanyi “in less than three years in office wiped away our tears and assured us of a better future”, declaring: “We have come out today as the product of that mandate to overwhelmingly endorse you as our candidate for the 2019 governorship election in Enugu State”.
The NULGE’s endorsement, which coincided with Gov. Ugwuanyi’s 54th birthday anniversary, was also seen as a birthday gift to the governor.
NULGE National President, Comrade Khaleel, while upholding the stance of the union’s state chapter, described Ugwuanyi as a leader with “huge humility, vision and comradeship”.
Similarly, the road transport workers under the auspicious of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) recently endorsed Ugwuanyi for re-election for peace and good governance.
Born on March 20, 1964, Gov. Ugwuanyi turned 54 on Tuesday this week. The governor’s 54th birthday provided him with another opportunity to show, charity, love, care, solidarity and compassion with the lowly and downtrodden through his philanthropic gestures – a constant moral obligation in appreciation of God’s goodness and amazing grace to him as “Nwaogbenye”.
No wonder the goodwill, acceptance and tremendous support he enjoys have remained unbeatable in the history of the state. He is well known for his open-door policy, inclusive leadership, and close contact with the masses.
One is therefore, glad to note that the governor has in less than two and a half years in office received many commendations for his good works and uninfluenced endorsements for re-election in 2019 from virtually all major segments of the society, including leaders of religious institutions, chieftains of the opposition political parties, the state and local government workforce, traders, road transport workers, pensioners and artisans.
His milestone feats in the provision of massive critical infrastructure across the state have been acknowledged and applauded by friends and foes alike.
He has thus impacted positively on the lives of the people, especially the rural dwellers, rekindling their confidence in participatory democracy.
For example, he has executed more landmark road projects in the rural areas and satellite towns, where the majority of the people reside, than in the urban centres. Road projects are on-going in places like Abakpa, Emene, Eha-Amufu, Amurri, Akpugo, Coal Camp, Ngenevu, Iva Valley, and so on.
It is also on record that the state government has spent over N40 billion on road construction and rehabilitation across the state in the last two and a half years, covering over 240 kilometres.
Few weeks ago, Ugwuanyi demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that meaningful development reached every nook and cranny of the state with the disbursement of N2.25 billion to 450 autonomous communities. That was the first tranche of the N10 million earmarked for every community in the state to execute development projects of their choice.
The uniqueness and excitement of the scheme, christened “One Community, One Project,” the first of its kind in the state, are that the choice of the projects and their execution are left entirely to the discretion of the stakeholders of each community. extensive rural development in the state.
Recently also, his administration re-launched the state’s Traders Empowerment Scheme, with an annual bumper package of N120 million. This was up from the previous amount of N60 million at inception of the scheme, representing a 100 per cent increase. The idea is to assist traders in the state to grow their businesses.
In the repackaged scheme, 200 genuine traders will now win N10 million every month at N50, 000 each, as against N5 million for 100 traders in the last scheme. Again, 17 other markets were added to the existing 37 to ensure that the empowerment scheme reached out to every nook and cranny of the state for more winners to benefit.
He was recently commended by not only the Nigerian Army, but also the ex-servicemen in Enugu State for his government’s N19.6 million empowerment grants to 96 widows of fallen heroes residing in the state. The grant was to assist the families of those who died in the service of the country to start businesses of their choice and live a better life.
Also, the people’s governor, as he is often called in the state, upon receiving the sad news of fire outbreak at the Kenyatta Timber Market, Enugu, had to end a meeting of the State Executive Council to visit the site. He ensured that adequate intervention was made to put off the inferno. The governor did not stop there. Within two days of the incident, he visited the market for the second time, and directed the immediate rebuilding of the affected 72 shops with a promise to assist owners of the shops with the sum of N7.2 million to enable them restart their businesses. “I am here to wipe away your tears,” he told the affected traders.
It is also noteworthy that the governor’s wife, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, has been very supportive of her husband. She has remained in the vanguard, propelling her husband’s philanthropic gestures, warming the people, particularly the poor and the less privileged, to participatory democracy through her pet project, Ugo Touch of Life Foundation (U-TOLF).
In recognition of all these milestone achievements, which are the radiant bedrock of the governor’s 54th birthday anniversary celebration, one therefore, urges the people of Enugu State at home and abroad, as well as friends of the state in Nigeria and beyond to continue to support him to render more selfless services to humanity and hold on to his vision to build Enugu State of our founding fathers’ dream. Enugu State is truly in the hands of God.
-Amoke is Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Enugu State Governor
