By Francis Ede
Like the lyrical tinge of a Sonata, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) is a joy to all; a joy that permeates the soul, resonating with the touch of a firework glazing the sky for everyone to see and admire.
Once described by the Vanguard Newspapers as “big, bold and formidable with urbane and charming mien and a baritone voice that has a likable pitch.” His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Executive Governor of Enugu State has intimidating credentials by size, stature, intellectual bent. He is eloquent and has terrific administrative acumen. His prudent deployment of human and material resources in the management of the affairs of Enugu State has made him the ‘poster boy’ of this democratic dispensation.
He has also with the analytical and critical mind of a risk assessor provided a wage and security against waste. He has taken bold but guarded steps in the making of a new Enugu State of his dream with the diligent and calculative instinct of an insurer that he was, so much so that the state is counted as buoyant in the midst of the recession that the nation is currently going through.
It was President Muhammadu Buhari himself who told a foreign delegation that among the 36 states of the Federation, it is only Enugu, Lagos and Rivers states that are able to meet their fiscal and monetary obligations to their indigenes, including the payment of workers’ salaries, and this is in spite of the fact that most of those other states were given the bailout funds from the Federal Government to help ease their financial burden. But what stunned many people about this presidential revelation is that Enugu State is among the states that earns the least from the Federation Account which is the bedrock of resource allocation in this country. Yet the state pays their workers promptly on or before the 25th of every month.
Such deafening cannonades for a commanding performance by Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, even from President Buhari who is known to be very frugal in such matters as he sets high value in critical appraisal of his subordinates has provided extensive apparatus of commentary on the performance or lack of it by the present crop of state governors. But Gburugburus’ case has provided the most exciting and most engaging narrative, gaining headlines and national attention in the process, while giving us an astonishing overview of what good governance should be. And it must be because of this spectacular performance that the L.G.A News, a publication of the Ministry of Local Government Matters
Enugu State named him the paper’s ‘Man of the Year 2016’.
My own take is that among the governors numerous achievements in the year aforementioned, he was barely a year and half in office by the end of last year when that nomination was made. His quest for peace and strive towards maintaining it in the face of extreme provocation as was evidenced in the attacks on the indigenes of Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen stands out above all others and could have earned him a Nobel Prize for peace or its national equivalent if we have anything like that here.
Ugwuanyi evidenced a marked coolness in those ugly days when our brothers and sisters were massacred both at Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani L.G.A and at Attakwu in Nkanu West L.G.A of Enugu State. And knowing that it was better to Jaw-Jaw than to War-War as the saying goes, he opted for dialogue and the path of peace, culminating in the visit of the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Sa’ad Abubakar III to Enugu and Nsukka at the close of last year to emphasis the need for peaceful co-habitation among the component tribes in the state.
Even at the risk of spurious attacks by critics, scorn, tears and complains by those who would have preferred retaliatory attacks on the herdsmen, many of whom suggested the Ekiti State example of outright legislation against open grazing in the state by the State House of Assembly, but the governor reasoned that such action could only escalate tension not only in the whole of Igbo Land but in the entire Northern Nigeria where a lot of Igbos sojourn and ply their trade and investments. The carnage going on now in Southern Kaduna is a pointer to the avoidable pitfalls that Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has cleverly and adroitly steered Enugu State and country at large away from, by refusing to be overwhelmed by the pervading hate and anger of those heady days and trying moments in our history.
His humility, Ugwuanyi’s greatest asset is his way of connecting with the low and the mighty; he is the ultimate definition of a grassroots politician who maintains an open door policy and and inclusive governance. He is a man of faith, courage and honour with good Christian values, who particularly keeps to the Biblical injunction of being one’s brother’s keeper. And the hordes of support groups, men and women, students, council of elders and various prayer bands attests to how beloved the governor has become among his people. The Holy Book says, “How beautiful are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace and proclaims salvation”.
One of the paramount achievements of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi so far in office is his multi-dimensional approach towards providing premium service delivery to the good people of Enugu State in fulfillment of his electoral promise to drive with full force investment promotion, agricultural sector renewal, aggressive infrastructural development, human capital/skills acquisition and security of lives and properties. He has remained focused with the task of repositioning and re-invigorating the economy of the state with the intent to promote a balanced and sustainable economic growth which will engender adequate employment opportunity for our people.
Sometimes when statistics for completed and ongoing projects in Enugu State are reeled out, they would sound incredible but they are true.
Yes it is true that on 15th October, 2016, in a most revolutionary scale unheard of in the state, over 35 new projects including roads, buildings, water and electricity projects were flagged off simultaneously in all the 17 L.G.As of the state by the government of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to the joy and relief of the rural dwellers who cannot stop thanking God for the gift of this wonderful governor.
Yes, it is also true that being conscious of the legal framework with which private business will be willing to get involved in the affairs of the state, government is willing to provide a one stop shop for investment promotion which will entail having all the business permits to do business in the state, within one week.