Enugu residents hail Gov Ugwuanyi, laud resumption of work at abandoned International Conference Centre

From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu

RESIDENTS of Enugu State have hailed what they call the innovative style adopted by Gover­nor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to sustain the growth of the state in the face of global economic recess and dwindling allocation from the Federal Govern­ment.

Ugwuanyi on assump­tion of office on May 29 bemoaned the economic challenges facing the country, but assured that the state would continue to pick its bills stressing that he believed in the biblical miracle of five loaves and two fish with which Jesus Christ used to feed a multitude.

He constituted an Eco­nomic Advisory Com­mitte in the state headed by Monsignor (Prof) Obiora Ike to help fashion out ways the state could generate more revenues .

in addition to the initia­tive, the Governor delved into other areas of rais­ing the bar of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) without hurting residents of the state .

The State government also commenced work on the multi-million naira International Conference Centre project in the state.

The conference cen­tre was started by for­mer Governor Chimaroke Nnamani but abandoned by the administration of the immediate past gov­ernor of the state,Sullivan Chime .

Prior to the abandon­ment of the conference centre, the project had reached 90 per cent com­pletion, the building was later vandalized. The former governor, at the twilight of his administra­tion partitioned and allo­cated part of the premises to some individuals.

An Enugu-base lawyer and politician, Mr Hum­phrey Nwodo, told Daily Sun that when the project was started by ex-Gover­nor Nnamani, the people of the state applauded it bearing in mind the ben­efits it would bring to the state both socially and economically .

He noted that he was surprised that the Chime administration aban­doned the project and later shared the land to his cronies.

According to him. for Ugwuanyi to revive the project was a demonstra­tion that he is truly the man of the people ex­plaining that the confer­ence centre project was dear to the residents of the state..

The lawyer commend­ed the disposition of the governor and his ability to look for alternative ways of strengthening the rev­enue base of the state.

Emphasising on the benefits of the conference centre , Nwodo pointed out that it was strategic that Ugwuanyi was com­pleting the centre.

Delving to other areas , h e said the recent do­nation of vans to secu­rity agencies in the state showed that the governor was on the right tract of turning around the eco­nomic fortunes of the state positively.

He argued that if the state is secured and a standard international conference centre put in place, the Enugu would witness an economic leap.

When Daily Sun vis­ited the conference centre , one of the workers at the site who pleaded for ano­nymity said the gover­nor physically visited the place on Monday to as­certain the level of work , stressing that Ugwuanyi vowed to revamp it to ac­tualize his dream of mak­ing Enugu a tourist and economic destination.

The source further said that Governor was committed to ensuring that the centre generate enough revenues .

The governor was con­ducted round the three conference units of the centre by Mr Kenneth Onoh.

He assured that his ad­ministration would en­sure that the objectives for which the centre was started would be duly re­alized in no distant time.

The governor em­barked on the inspection in the company of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Gabriel Ajah, his Chief of Staff, Mr Victor Atu­onwu, Commissioner for Information, Mr Godwin Udeuhele, Chief Press Secretary, Mr Uwakwe Abugu, among other top government functionar­ies.