There is no doubt that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s 100 days in the saddle as the governor of Enugu State has been a worthwhile experience to the people of the state and signposts a positive radiance for good governance and harmonious existence.

File photo: •Road inspection: L-R: Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State addressing the Site Engineer of the Greylines company, Engr.George skayrak and residents of Emene, as his Deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo looks on, when he inspected the old Emene road.
To the civil servants in the state, it has been an experience worth praising God and thanking him for the gift of a leader whose solemn covenant with the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob and the awesome God of David is to render selfless service, touch the lives of the people positively and give them a sense of belonging.
Consequently, September 1, 2015 is certainly not a day civil servants in Enugu State will forget in a hurry. It was a day the Governor extended his spirit of goodwill, humility, simplicity, passion, vision and love to 100 lucky civil servants in the state, between grade-level 1-10, who won one bedroom apartment each at the Elim Estate for which his administration had paid 30 per cent equity contribution of the total cost of each flat,under its housing scheme for public servants.
Housing for civil servants
To the lucky winners, it was a dream come true and a new dawn in the annals of the state’s vision towards motivating and improving on the welfare of the workers, for they got more than what they bargained for.
To the governor, it was in keeping faith with his promise to “recommit myself to deploying government resources towards employment generation, enhanced social services, good governance, rural development, security and justice in line with the 4-point agenda and our broad policy of continuity and consolidation.”
It was also a fulfillment of a promise “to create fair and equal opportunity for every citizen to make a living, create wealth and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment.”

Prompt payment of salaries
In further demonstration of his love for the workers, it is on record that the governor has remained resolute in his commitment to continue with the tradition of prompt payment of salaries and enhanced efforts to make the new State Secretariat Complex more efficient and comfortable for the workers.
It is heartwarming to note that the occasion of the handing over of keys of 100 one bedroom apartments acquired by the state government for civil servants in Enugu State was the second time it happened in the history of the country. Kudus must therefore go to the Governor for his vision, tenacity and wisdom to take such bold step aimed at improving the lots of the civil servants in the state.
According to the Developer of the Elim Estate, Rev. (Surv.) Ugochukwu Chime, “Enugu State has broken the jinx 13 years after such housing scheme took place in Taraba State. I am confident that this programme which is a novelty will serve as an advocacy for other 35 states to emulate.
I sincerely commend Gov. Ugwuanyi for keying into this initiative in less than 100 days in office to partner with the private sector to provide quality and affordable homes for the workers of Enugu State.”

It is also gladdening to note that the State Commissioner for Housing, Engr. Charles Ogbo Asogwa, equally thanked the Governor for “showing transparency in governance” by directing that all the proud owners should emerge through an open ballot system.
Project commission


In furtherance of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s penchant for selfless service and good governance, it is also worthy of note that he has made other giant strides in his eventful 100 days in office. This could be better appreciated through the signposts of his remarkable achievements. These include: commissioning of 15km Inter-Town-Connection (ITC) 2.5MVA Injection Sub-Station at Ezi-Nze in Udi Local Government Area that will provide electricity to communities across Udi, Uzo-Uwani and Igbo-Etiti Local Government Areas of the state; procurement of vehicles for security agencies; completion of the hitherto intractable Ogbete Main Market Entrance Road project, Enugu; continuation of rehabilitation work at Airport Roundabout/ Orie Emene/ St. Patrick’s College/Eke-Obinagu Road project; rehabilitation of roads in New Haven Mbanefo II (on -going); construction of drains, culverts, earthworks, asphaltic wearing course at Ugwogo Nike Ikem Road (on-going); foundation-laying stone for a 200-bed ultra-modern Specialist Hospital at Amalla, Orba in Udenu Local Government Area; site and services of Trinity Housing Estate by Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ENHDC), located along old Airport Road, Enugu in line with the Governor’s campaign promise to provide quality and affordable housing estates in the state.

New economic policies
Others include: constitution of an Economic Advisory Committee to advise government on best economic policies that will engender sustainable growth and development for the state to navigate through the adverse effects of the negative development in the nation’s economy; setting-up of a committee on Nsukka Urban Renewal as part of his vision for the development of new cities in the state; commencement of the bidding process for the construction of eight rural and urban roads across the state; 95 per cent completion of massive construction works on the new Government House Complex (Lion Building), Enugu; quick resolution of the six-month judiciary strike impasse in the state; approval for the immediate release of funds for the active participation of the state in the implementation of the N2 billion staple crop processing zone (SCPZ); and agricultural programme of the African Development Bank/Federal Government of Nigeria.
The fund will be used for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Adani Irrigation scheme, provision of infrastructure, feeder roads and schools among others. Other policies are constitution of an 11-man Committee on Local Government Staff Audit and Biometrics Data Capturing Exercise, to audit staff and other related matters in the Local Government Councils; constitution of an 8-man Administrative Committee on the Completion of Enugu State Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) projects in the primary schools of Enugu State; renovation and equipping of the sickbay and two classroom blocks at Queen’s School, Enugu; renovation of the Deputy Governor’s Office (on-going); renovation of the Magistrate Court, Enugu (on-going); procurement of 20 (twenty) tractors for mechanized agriculture; procurement of 10 braille machines, jaw readers, desktop computers and other accessories for visually impaired students of the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu; numerous humanitarian gestures and social responsibility engagements in schools, hospitals, churches, markets such as donation of N5 million to University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu State in support of open heart surgery for children; payment of hospital bills for 21 indigent patients who were held back after treatment due to their inability to pay their bills at ESUTH, Parklane Hospital, Enugu, among others.
From the foregoing, it is obvious that 100 days down the line, Gov. Ugwuanyi has hit the ground running and has set the stage for the advancement of good governance and socio-economic emancipation of the state in line with his campaign promises. It is therefore, the responsibility of Enugu people to give him the support to do more!

*Amoke, is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media.