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By Ike Enekwe
The race for someone to mount the saddle after the expiration of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari has begun. Lots of politicians have thrown their hat in the fray though the contestation is at the level of securing party nomination. This is probably the most vital part of the contest for politicians, given that it is won largely on personal merit and popularity within the party fold. The party would take into cognizance the political capital such a candidate brings to the table, and the candidate’s winning ability. The current sentiment in the presidential race is for justice to be assuaged in the choice of a presidential candidate in the parties. The pervasive feeling is that that the south east zone ought to have a go at the presidency to settle a seeming Igbophobia on the matter. There have also been sentiments from some other zones who have a similar argument because they have never had a go at the presidency. For this writer those are genuine sentiments but for me the sentiment for the south east is very genuine. But it should not undermine the fact that candidate with the experience, and yet the ability to become a breath of fresh are in the contest.
One candidate who has the pedigree to do the job, and yet has the tendency to present as genuine game changer is Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State. His experience is unmatched just as his track records speak volumes. He has had parliamentary and executive experience in such proportions that stepping up to the presidency would be a beneficial climax to a political journey laced with dividends. Enugu ranks amongst the most politically peaceful in Nigeria. Going by what Uguanyi has done in the state, he seems to be the unsung hero of infrastructure and dividend of democracy. He is politically savvy despite his seeming naivety which is why he would wade through the most delicate of political issues, come out unscathed, and still ruffle little or no feathers. If his performance as Governor of Enugu, should come into the picture, as it ought to, in urging him to throw his hat into the fray, we would find that he is not lacking in political capital in that respect. The truth of the matter is that Governor Ifeanyi Uhwuanyi is a gentle giant, albeit a political one. He would wade through the most complicated of political complexities, ruffle non or few feathers, and come out unscathed. Nigeria need such a man. People who do not know him tend to see his gentle mien as weakness, but no one should dare him because inside that gentle mien is a stoic man who has a clear vision and direction. The other day former aviation minister, Femi Fani Kayode, who, in his seeming eccentricities, cannot be denied his cerebral and analytical prowess, stated that he was surprised that Ugwuanyi is not stepping out for the contest, given that he has done well in his domain, Nigeria would stand to benefit from his experience at the national level.
The people of Enugu state are blessed with a calm, resourceful, humane, agile, dynamic and development driven governor. In the last six years, Gburugburu, as Governor Ugwuanyi is fondly called, has redefined governance and changed the paradigm of infrastructural development in the coal city state. He is indeed, the unsung hero in elevating good governance to an enviable height. While opening up rural areas, the governor has also scaled up upgrading of urban areas to catch up with other parts of the world. He has been piloting the affairs of the state steadily and is surely achieving results, which are conspicuous even to his critics and opponents. Through the conscious and concerted efforts of the governor, Enugu state has firmly regained its place as the administrative and industrial nerve centre of the south east region. The people are happier than ever before as many laudable policies and projects have been initiated and executed to advance the cause of their standard of living. This has largely been responsible for the peace and tranquility that has pervaded the state since May 29, 2019. Of course, Gburugburu’s landmark achievements in his first term convinced the people to promote him to a second term with a historic electoral victory, which saw him crushed his closest rival like a trailer climbing an ant. Ugwuanyi is even more active since his inauguration for the last term. His quest to imprint indelible legacies in the sands of history in the state is clearly discernible from his actions and activities. Instead of tiring out, the workaholic former legislator is now moving at a supersonic speed.
In order to achieve set targets, the government is aware that a motivated civil and public service is inevitable. Hence, the state governor has approved the report of the joint committee for the negotiation of consequential adjustment for payment of N30,000 Minimum Wage. Conscious of the fact that education is the light to the world, Governor Ugwuanyi’s earliest decisions immediately after inauguration for the second term was to approve the sum of N1.5 billion, N244 million and N200 million for payments of required counterpart funds for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme for construction and renovation of more primary and junior secondary school buildings.
Since health is wealth, and people need to be healthy to go to school and embark on any human endeavour, the governor equally approved monies running into billions for the APPEALS programme for women and youth’s agricultural empowerment and the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for comprehensive basic health services for every eligible resident in the state. It is on record that Enugu state has never failed on counterpart funding of projects since Ugwuanyi became governor. What about agriculture? The revolution in the sector is unprecedented. The Ada Rice Uzouwani agricultural project is one of these towering achievements of his regime. Uwguanyi has several land marks that stand him out in governance. In Nukka, Ugwuanyi helped to step down the 30 MVA power from Makurdi to make for uitable poer in the tom made him happy. He resolved the legal tangle that bugged the project and got it done. In road infrasctructure, Uguanyi covered no less than 690 Kilometres, most of which led to rural communities, and thus opened them up for acess to agricultural produce. In rehabilitating the Ajali and Oji River water treatment plant the Governor showed that he knew the basic needs of his people. In the area of security, shortly after the initial menace of heardsmen in Enugu, the Governor swung into action with purchase of patrol vans, over 100 of them, and recruitment of forest guards who give actionable intelligence to the security men. That move marked the end of the menace in Enugu.
In Education, the Governor recruited no less than 7000 teachers and flooded Primary and Secondary schools with computers. His imprint in Education is indelible. It was the Minister of State for Health Senator Olorinimbe Mamora who lauded Uwguanyi for his giant strides in the health sector when the visited Enugu to commission the rehabilitated National Orthopedic hospital. Uwguanyi’s impact in governance is totalitarian, which is why some groups have insisted that he should throw his hat in the ring for the contest to produce Nigeria’s president.
Outside Infrastructure, he has the requisite experience that would naturally make for peaceful executive and legislative relationship. This has tended to be a sore point in the democratic journey but Ugwuanyi has won both shoes and he knows where they pinch. He would avoid the banana peels to ensure that the ship of state remains steady and sailing steadily
The other day the Arewa Forum for Good Governance(AFGG) asked him to contest for the position. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has a lot going for him. He should bring the needed breath of fresh air to the contest.
