Ugwuanyi, Campaign Promises And Matters Arising -By Christian Nwachukwu

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

One begins to ponder on the issue of keeping to campaign promises by political office holders. In particular, the Nigerian political elite is in a class of its own regarding keeping their campaign promises. As a country, we have heard several republics; however, when the number of promises made by the politicians during their campaign promises are put together, may be only 10percent of such campaign promises we’re fulfilled.

At the federal government level, Nigerians have been demanding that the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, should fulfill all it’s campaign promAises. President Muhammadu Buhari and his team have been having uphill tasks explaining to agitated Nigerians the challenges the APC-led federal government has been facing since it assumed power on May 29, 2015. At most states of the federation, the agitation is the same. Several state governors have equally been sweating to explain their predicaments to their people on why they are unable to deliver on their campaign promises.

Average Nigerians are familiar with the fact that Nigerian politicians hardly keep to campaign promises made during campaign periods when they have not assumed office. However, this particular line of thought does not have general application. In some instances, this logic has been proved wrong. This is why a man who is so much in a hurry to transform a state, like Enugu hardly sleeps as a result of serious commitment to his campaign promises. Assuming office when the dwindling national resources were so intense, did not make him to deviate in keeping to his promises.

Today, Enugu is a state to behold in terms of serious developmental projects on ground barely few months in office by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Numerous tracks of achievements barley seven months in office speak for itself. In my recent visit to Enugu, I was hugely impressed by the new wave of development. I saw that the current administration in the state means business by engaging in creative ideas on modern governance.

For instance, the essence of ensuring a healthy free state cannot be over emphasized. Health, they say is wealth and this is why the administration has deemed it fit that in order to ensure a healthy Enugu state, health sector must be squarely addressed. This is what led to the equipping of all health facilities in the state at various locations within the and opening up of new ones to cater for health needs of the people. Typical example is the Oba Specialist Hospital which His Excellency laid the foundation work at Oba among others. Both the state teaching hospital and other health facilities within the state are receiving face lifts.

Infrastructure is critical to development in any society. One begins to wonder which of the projects embarked upon by Ugwuanyi is more paramount than the other. But on the whole there are all in line with his campaign promises. The 15km inter-town connection (ITC) N2,5MVA 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 speaks for itself. Also the completion of Ogbete Main Market entrance raod project, rehabilitation work at airport roundabout, rehabilitation of road in New Heaven Mbanefo II, construction of drains culverts, earthworks, Asphaltic wearing course at Ugwogo Nike Ikem Road, among others.

Similarly, housing cannot be put behind in development. Nigeria is is being weighed down by housing deficit. This therefore requires governments at all levels to put on thinking cap. In this light the state government is evidently not sleeping.

During his campaign, he promised to ensure that if elected, citizens of Enugu state would have cheap and affordable houses of their own and this he had kept still the very last of his word. It is gladdening that the governor handed over keys of 100 one bedroom apartments acquired by the state government for civil servants in Enugu state at Elim Estate. Also under his watch, there is Trinity Housing Estate built by his government located along Old Airport Road in line with his campaign promises to provide cheap, quality and affordable housing estates in the state.

In a bid to ensure crime free state, the governor on area of security procure vehicles for security agencies in the state and challenged them to live up to their duties by ensuring a crime free Enugu state. Today, citizens of Enugu state can sleep with two eyes close.

In education section, for instance, the governor has matched word with action. This is so by his magnanimous zeal to ensure that every average Enugu citizen not only have quality, affordable and basic education but also a committed government which will respond promptly to educational challenges of the people. A visit to education facilities in Enugu state would convince one better as all the educational facilities in the state have taken face lifts from what it used to be.

He also pays workers promptly their salary. No worker in Enugu state is owed as at date. Having achieved these fits within the shortest possible time, entails that the governor will do more before the end of his administration for the people of the state.

Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure that the good works of the governor moves on. This has gone to show that he is a man of the people, grass root oriented governor who has tried to keep to his campaign promises. Any government that performs impressively this way is a pride to his people and humanity; it deserves cooperation and support of all well-meaning citizens in order to continue to provide meaningful governance to them.

—Nwachukwu writes from Umuahia, Abia State