Enugu governor, Ugwuanyi breaks with ‘tradition’

By EZUGWU OBINNA

In Enugu State, just like many other states in Nigeria, governors are chosen in a manner that one can equate with king-making. The king makers in this sense are often the outgoing or past governors. The interesting part however, is that the chosen governors when they ascend the throne, immediately turn around and break the hands that put the crown on their heads.

When democracy returned in 1999, the battle over who occupies Enugu Government House, popularly called the Lion Building kicked off with intensity, top political figures in the engaged in war of wits and intrigues in a bid to emerge governor. But there was one man who held the ace, the former governor of the old Anambra State, which comprise the present day Enugu and Anambra states, Senator Jim IfeanyichukwuNwobodo.

While the-who-is-who in the state’s political space then were busy lobbying Nwobodo to win his backing, the former governor had other plans; he had made up his mind on who to “appoint” governor. He was the main man of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party was certain to take Enugu State. So the answer to who would become governor lay with him. And it was not long before he provided it.

Nwobodo went all the way to the United States to bring Dr.ChimarokeNnamani who was then a practicing medical doctor in the US and was unknown in Enugu, much to the chagrin of those who had been lobbying.  Nnamani was ordained governor in 1999; his emergence marked the beginning of a trend, if not a continuation.

Soon after he took the oath of office, Nnamani turned around and literally chased Nwobodo away. As the king maker that had just crowned a new king, Nwobodo failed to heed an advice offered by the Yoruba “When you crown an Oba, turn back and run.” He stayed behind and wanted to call the shots; he wanted to make inputs on the list of commissioners and other sundry appointees, but Chiboy, as Nnamani was called was not in for that. He quickly showed Nwobodo who the real boss was. Some said that when it happened, Nwobodo literally ran from the government house.

With Nwobodo out of the picture, Nnamani held sway in the state politics; the fear of Chiboy became the beginning of wisdom. But the years were also running fast and it was not long before eight years passed, Nnamani while concluding his two tenures in 2007, picked a successor. He shunned the front runners: OkechukwuItanyi, the then deputy governor; Dr. Dan Shere and Oscar Egwuonwu his then right hand men and picked largely unknown Barr. Sullivan Iheanacho Chime who was his man for the legal battles.

When Chime was presented as the PDP flag bearer, he wore an overflowing ‘kaftan,’ looking like one who had no idea what he was asking to do as governor. Everyone thought Nnamani was about to install a stooge through whom he would continue to rule the state.

But they were in for the shock of their lives. As soon as Chime was sworn in, he stunned the ‘Ebeano-chanting’ crowd of party men at the Opara Square. He asked everyone to shut up, and his next words were greeted with missed reactions. “We are now in a new era in Enugu State,” he said. Many clapped; others were angry. But one thing was sure to all who had gathered at the square and the thousands watching proceedings on television: it was the beginning of the end for Nnamani’s seemingly unassailable reign in the State.

Again, the years went by, and fast too. Last year, 2014, the PDP in Enugu was to choose a successor for Chime whose tenure was coming to an end. There were popular candidates: Engr. Vita Abba, the then chairman of the party in the state; Senator AyoguEzu, senator representing Enugu North; Eugene Odo, speaker of the state House of Assembly and even Evang. Sam MadukaOnyishi, owner of Peace Mass Transit limited. Like those before him however, Chime went for Ugwuanyi who was not as popular at the time.

There was bickering over the choice, coupled with Chime’s senatorial ambition which set him on a collision course with Senator Ike Ekweremmadu, there emerged two factions of PDP in the state; one led by Chime, the other by Ekweremmadu. But Chime was holding the wrong end of the stick and he was to drop his senatorial ambition in the interest of peace. Once again, all was well, at least among the top shots of the party. Senator Eze and others continued nonetheless, but in the end, Ugwuanyi was chosen; won the election by a landslide and on May 29, 2015, he was sworn in as the new governor of the state.

Ugwuanyi was widely expected to follow what had become a trend; he was expected to show Chime immediately that he had become the boss. Surprisingly however, he did not, it is now almost a month since he took over and he is still working with the appointees of the former governor. Even more interesting, he has maintained a close relationship with his predecessor ever since.

Just last week, he hosted the party chieftains in the state and solicited their inputs in naming of his cabinet, an amazing development in many people’s opinions. Some have opined that he will be the best governor the state has ever produced going by his take-off. At the governor’s grand reception at Nsukka, his party’s chairman IkejeAsogwa restated his believe that he would be a great governor.

There could be a reason for Ugwuanyi’s unusual actions however; Chime has been praised in many quarters as having performed creditably well as governor, and moving against him now could prove costly for the new governor. At the Chime’s own grand reception at Udi, Ugwuanyi was quick to pay glowing tributes to the man who gave Enugu a new look. He noted that Chime had through his integrity and personal sacrifices set the state in a part of progress that cannot be reversed.

“I have always said it and I will continue to say it, in and out of office Sullivan Chime remains my leader. He is God’s special gift to Enugu State. That is why the whole of Enugu is happy with him and has continued to pay him homage,” Ugwuanyi noted.

“Sullivan Chime handed over the success and well-being of Enugu to me. God will help me to follow in his footsteps. Chime is today a prophet who is honoured in his own town. It is simply good to be good. You completed your tenure and people are still thanking you. I will also want to be praised when I leave office.”

Indeed, it was been a memorable eight years of democratic governance under Chime; and even though he has had his highs and lows as the state’s helmsman, the approval ratings of his administration have remained high even as he has stepped aside. The governor left behind landmark achievements that would stand the test of time.

Perhaps, the most important achievement of the taciturn former governor is his enthroning peace in the state. Chime’s administration ushered in a state devoid of political tension contrary to what was the case during the administration of his predecessor, Nnamani whose tenure was characterized by violence. The Coal City state has, under Chime, returned to its normal state of peace and tranquility that it had historically been known for.

Before Chime, the state had been engulfed in series of political crisis which were mostly caused by Governor Nnamani’s clamp down on political opponents. Then, electioneering campaigns were marred by extreme violence and it was always the survival of the fittest.

The people of Enugu may not forget in a hurry the death of 14 worshippers at the Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN) in 2003 following a stampede triggered by a suspected attack by political thugs in the wake of Rev. FrEjikeMbaka’s verbal attacks on Nnamani, neither would they forget the gun duels that characterized electioneering  campaigns of that same year, one of which claimed the life of former ADC to Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate in the 2003 governorship polls.

But all that ended when Chime came on board. Though he also fought political battles such as those with former PDP National Chairman, Dr.OkwesiliezeNwodo and Nnamani himself, his was mainly based on strategies and not brute force. Enugu has since been a calm and tranquil state.

The governor is also remembered for the road infrastructures he put in place in the state. With his massive road construction, Chime literally turned Enugu into a state that every of its citizen is proud of; Enugu, the state capital is now arguably one of the most beautiful capital cities in Nigeria. Apart from the capital city however, the governor took his road construction campaign to almost all the communities in the state especially in his second tenure. This is basically what has seen him score high marks in the ratings of performing governors in the country.

Another area where Chime did impressively well is in the payment of workers in the state. Before he took office, civil servants in Enugu State did not have it so good in terms of timely and prompt payment of their salaries by the state government. While Enugu is one of the states that are yet to implement the N18,000 minimum wage benchmark even as the Nigerian Labour Congress is getting set to demand an upward review, the issue of minimum wage was not much of an issue between the governor and workers in the state, perhaps due to his timely payment of salaries.

According to a civil servant in the state, Mrs UgwuNnaji, Governor Chime kept to his promise of paying workers’ salaries on the 26th of every month. She explained that the ex-governor also cleared all outstanding allowance owed workers Nnamani.

“Chime did his best, when he took power in 2007, he promised that workers would be paid on the 26th of every month and he kept to that promise. He even paid all the accumulated leave allowances left unpaid by the previous administration,” She said.

She however complained that Chime was unable to implement the minimum wage benchmark and lamented that all efforts by the workers to compel him to do so fell through. “There was a time when workers wanted to go on strike but he threatened that it would be no work; no pay, so the workers changed their minds. There was one September that workers actually went on strike and he refused to pay for that month till now.” Nnaji explained.

In the area of education, the former governor received both commendations and criticisms for his contributions in the sector. For all the government secondary schools in the state, he donated a school bus to enhance movement of students and staff, as well as either put up new or refurbished dilapidated structures in many schools to the commendation of many.

However, he was variously condemned for making university education unaffordable for many prospective students in the state by increasing the school fees of the state university, the Enugu State University of Science and technology (ESUTECH) beyond the reach of many people. Presently, students of the university pay fees ranging from N120,000 to N140,000 depending on one’s academic year or course of study. The consequent of this is that a number of students have dropped out of school. Such was the case of Chika Ezeagu a former student of the school who dropped out because who could no longer afford school fees.

“I got admission to study Political Science in 2011, I was told that my registration, school fees and so on would cost as much as N200,000, then I was in Abuja were I had worked and saved some money so I didn’t find it so difficult. I paid a little over N122,000 as school fees but other sundry fees brought the total amount I spent to over N150,000. But I had to live with my sister in Enugu from where I went to lectures at Agbani, it was hard paying transport everyday but I could not rent a house close to school because they were very expensive,” he explained.

“In my second year, I had exhausted all the money I saved and my parents could not afford the N123,000 school fees we were asked to pay. So I did not pay school fees that year and in the school, registration numbers are issued each academic year upon payment of school fees such that anyone who did not pay will not have registration number which means that the person will not participate in exam. Even if he does, his scripts will not be marked. That’s what happened to me. I carried over all my second year courses and when I could not still afford to pay in third year, I decided to quit.”

Again, not much was done in the area of agriculture by the former governor, but his failing in these all important agricultural and educational sectors have not , dented the image of the governor as many residents still agree that he is one of the best governors the state have had since its creation in the year 1991.

In the final analysis, Chime set the standard for his successor Ugwuanyi to follow but reducing the amount paid as school fees in the state’s institutions will be a very good start for the in-coming governor.