2nd Term- Ugwuanyi’s goodwill and challenge of development.
From Maurice Okafor.
With the elections over, all eyes are now on the Enugu state governor,Rt Hon Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has been re elected for a second term in office, to take Enugu state to the next level of development, even as he is seemingly enjoying the support of all in this onerous task.
From all indication, the entire opposition against his re election as well as his hitherto detractors, have since thrown in their towel and demonstrated their support for Governor Ugwuanyi to continue with his laudable projects, meant for the overall development of the state.
This stems from the fact of a new leaf of political understanding among the 2019 General election political umpires of the various political parties outside PDP in the state, to accept their defeat in good faith, for the general interest of letting Governor Ugwuanyi continue with his developmental agenda of the state,without undue delay.
At the last count, the APC governorship candidate,Senator Ayogu Eze, who has been the arch rival of Governor Ugwuanyi in the Enugu state governorship contest,who had also locked horns with Governor Ugwuanyi in the 2015 Enugu PDP primaries,recently wished the state good governance under Governor Ugwuanyi. Senator Eze said he would not be a clog in the wheel of development of Enugu state when some political juggernauts/elders[his kinsmen] from Enugu North senatorial district paid him a courtesy call in his Enugu Residence and made peace overtures that would engender enabling environment for development of the entire state.
Prior to Senator Eze’s declaration, other political party’s governorship candidates had either withdrawn from the contest on the eve of the election or openly declared support for Ugwuanyi . Some others congratulated Ugwuanyi for winning overwhelmingly immediately after the election.
The likes of Rotarian Emeka Nwankpa, the APGA governorship candidate have declared interest to play advisory roles in Governor Ugwuanyi’s development initiatives for Enugu state. Over 70 political party executives with their members surrendered for Governor Ugwuanyi on the eve of the election.
Ahead of the May 29 inauguration and swearing in of Governor Ugwuanyi for a second term, political analysts in Enugu who spoke to Wawa News Global on conditions of anonymity said that the burden of challenge that before Governor Ugwuanyi with which he would write his name on the sands of time as one of the best governors to have governed Enugu state, “is if he succeeds to create more cities outside Enugu metropolis.”
Their view stems from the research findings that over seventy percent of Enugu citizens who reside in the rural areas is gunning for developmental strides that will spring up more developed towns in the state so as to curtail the ever increasing migration to Enugu metropolis,in view of the impediments of population explosion that is gradually at its grip.
The analysts stressed that the university town of Nsukka can be developed more than its present status through agricultural revolution which equally will stimulate establishment of agro- allied industries in the area. Even as Enugu North senatorial district with border towns like Obolloafor, Enugu Ezike,based on their Geographical disposition are gateway from the South East to the North, with seamless viable economic potentials that will ginger urbanization of several communities in the area .
The analysts pointed out that Oji River town,which originally was discovered by the British colonialists, who established the Oji Thermal power station and the ‘Wonderful Spring water’ with over 90 percent purity, which is currently under utilised, is another town in Enugu state with great potentials yet to be developed to add to the economy of the state.
They expressed optimism that more socio economic and developmental activities will flow down from Awka, the capital of Anambra state into Enugu state, with establishment of an industrial estate,Housing estate etc at Oji town,since it is the border town between Enugu and Anambra states.
The analysts expressed conviction that the envisaged Oji River township with all the neglected federal and state government establishments such as the Federal Veterinary services, Federal cooperatives college , School of Health technology, Oji River, the Oji River General hospital, maximum utilization of pure natural water from the Oji wonderful springs most of which are currently wasted as run off water,due to lack of reservoirs to store and ginger its renewed reticulation to Oji urban area and nearby towns of Achi, Inyi,Ugwuoba, Udi,Obinofia Ndiuno in Ezeagu local government area etc. Even the greater Enugu water scheme is partly generated from Oji River.
According to them, Oji River already possesses the socio economic potentials to spring up as another urban area in Enugu state, a nucleus of metropolitan for several rural communities under Udi local government area,Oji River and Ezeagu local government areas as well. In addition to boosting inter connectivity of socio economic and commercial activities between Enugu and Anambra states,in respect of it’s geographical location as a border town between the two states.
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