Enugu State was created by the government of Ibrahim Babangida on the 27th of August 1991. On Saturday, 27th of August, 2022, the state will be 31 years. FRED ITUA sat down with Charlie Agbo, a lawyer and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party to review the state’s progress over the years.
What would you say led to the clamour for the creation of Enugu?
It actually began before the civil war, even before the entity we knew as the Eastern Region. Speaking in terms of development, there are many viewpoints, on whether you should compartmentalise a political entity or whether you should have a larger whole to guarantee efficiency in certain contexts and perhaps minimise waste in others. These are dialectical issues with viewpoints on both sides of the ideological divide. But people can only be judged by what they consider their needs in certain circumstances. We as a people are still very unfortunate at a very early stage of socio-political development. It became obvious that there were certain issues that were retarding development rather than encouraging and galvanising progress. There were issues of marginalisation, nepotism and cronyism, outright feelings of repression and all whatnot. There were constant schisms that boiled over intermittently and had the polity under permanent heat. In the old Eastern Region, in East Central State and in the old Anambra State these tensions became concerning. The saving grace was the military who were not encumbered by all the huddles of a constitutional amendment. So with heavy-duty politicking and high-wire networking by the protagonists, the military government of Ibrahim Babangida yielded to the will of the people and created the state in 1991.
On August 27, 2022, the state will be 31 years old. Do you think the state has justified its creation?
For a start, the basic objective has been achieved. The tension that used to exist among the indigenes is no more there. Even though this is a difficult phenomenon, one could say that the dividing ghost of ‘they-against-us’ is no more there. You can’t make progress under those debilitating circumstances. A lot has actually been achieved. If you look at the way our system is structured, each state has three senatorial zones. This zonal structure has both political and economic consequences. With Ebonyi State being carved out from the old Enugu State, these two states widened the capacity of our people to access government. It gave us enhanced access to the federal bureaucracy, the federal legislature, and so on. You can see what the creation of at least one more state in the South-East, to bring us at par with our brothers will mean to us as South-easterners.
For over 20 years since the creation of Enugu State, the People’s Democratic Party has been in power. How would you assess the party vis-a-vis development in the state?
I think the PDP has done very well. Why do you elect governments? You elect governments for development. The party’s dominance in the state has reflected very meritoriously. I can say this without fear of contradiction. Enugu State has been in a constant state of development, reflecting the capacity of the various governments in terms of the availability of resources.
But some people have a different view. Some believe the state should have done better.
Well, there will always be different views on issues. Don’t forget that politics colours people’s opinions. It will be important not to treat the PDP in isolation. Which party has become that reference point in this regard? The times have equally not been very clement. You must have this in mind. If you take a fair look at Enugu today, you will agree that we have done enough to justify our pre-eminence in the political firmament.
When you talk about resources, Enugu State in terms of internally generated revenue has not been doing badly. The state’s Internally Generated Revenue grew from 14. 2 Billion in 2015 to about 31.7 billion at the end of 2019. That’s tremendous progress. Isn’t that?
Before l answer that question, you have to look at the engineering that led to that uptick in IGR. An uptick of that magnitude is kudos to the government of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. His re-engineering of the state’s Inland Revenue Service delivered good dividends. But that falls far short of the needs of the state. And in a situation where not much is coming from the Federation Account, the financial straits remain.
Looking at Enugu, does the achievement you talk about reflect on its infrastructural development?
Yes, it does. There is no Local Government Area in the state that has not benefited at least six asphalted roads in the last seven years of this administration. Some of these roads are the Opi- Nsukka Road which is a dual carriageway delivered to perfection and precision by one of the best engineering companies in the industry, Obechara Road Junction, Umuakashi Mechanic Village, Ikenga Hotels Junction, Enugu Road, Nsukka Junction, Umuezebi-Nru Junction, an extension of Agbani-Afor Amuri Road, the extension of Ituku Road; construction of Ogonogoeji –Ndiakpugo Road, construction of 42 metre span Bailey Bridge over River Nyama to Amichi, linking Umuogo and Umuagba Amaechi Uno/Obinagu community in Nkanu West Local Government Area. It’s important to point out that the Ogonogoeji-Ndiagu-Akpugo Road from Atavu Bailey Bridge to Afor Onovo is the first state government road in the entire Akpugo since the creation of Enugu State. Within Enugu metropolis, there are Holy Trinity Street, Bishop Michael Eneje Street, Nawfia Street, Ibuza Street, Isi-Uzo Street, Mount Crescent, GRA Enugu, Dental School-Tipper Garage Road, Trans-Ekulu, Loma Linda-Timber Shed Road, etc. Now, there is also Miliken Hill, that historical road which over the decades has portended very grave risk to road users has been given the best engineering lift.
Look at the Nike-Emene Road. That road tore through Enugu from the Northern axis of Nike to the Eastern side of Emene. Most indigenes of the state are astounded by the scenery as they drive through the road, practically rediscovering Enugu. The impact of that road is far-reaching. Not only does it open up hitherto hidden crevices to modernity, but gives practical access to the metropolis. It is the power of foresight because without that road, the new initiative of the governor to decongest Nike would have been impossible. That brings us to the flyover. This flyover is in the right direction since the new gateway to and from Enugu northwards is now Nike. A flyover has therefore become not only desirable but inevitable. Look at Nike-Isi-Uzo Road. It is a showcase of the power of road infrastructure. Most commuters now use the road en route to the North because it bypasses Opi Junction. And the access it gives to road users to the Northern axis of the state is unbelievable, thanks to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Education is being addressed massively by the state government. The National Universities Commission has just approved the State University of Medical Sciences at Nsukka. This is by no means a mean achievement. Also, the West African Examinations Council has just announced Enugu State as taking the first position in School Certificate Examinations among public secondary schools nationwide. This is a very important achievement because it is a product of concerted planning by the state government over the years. It reflects the premium that the governor places on education.
But teachers have been on strike. If the government places so much premium on education, how come primary school teachers are on strike over the non-payment of minimum wage?
Well, there are problems occasioned by the shortfall in the financial receipts by most state governments. You see, the times are not really good for the state. However, I am aware that the issue will soon be resolved. Are you aware that most states are unable to pay salaries? But Enugu State has been paying. BudgIT just released its statistics a week ago, indicating that only 12 states in the country are able to pay salaries. Enugu State, of course, is one of the 12 states with Anambra only having that distinction in the South-East. So you can see that even with the difficulties that abound, the state has a lot of which people should be proud. Thirty-one years after, my verdict is that Enugu is in safe and steady hands.