Enugu State: Ugwuanyi plans economic survival strategy

By Maurice okafor

The economic crunch in the country occasioned by the fall in oil revenue has forced Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to strategise on how to drive economic revolution in the state. MAURICE OKAFOR in Enugu reports

Amidst fears that the monthly allocation accruing to the 36 states and federal capital territory from the federation account will continue to dwindle due to the fall in crude oil prices, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is optimistic he will accomplish his vision and dream of driving industrial revolution in the coal city state. to this end, the new Governor has set up an advisory committee of experts to help source for funds and investors for the state’s development.

Enugu city, the capital of Enugu state is presently referred to as a ‘civil service’ state based on the fact that it was the anchor base/ headquarters of all establishments of the British colonial administration in the Eastern region of the country and during the first republic. The dismal closure of coal exploration from ‘Onyeama and Okpara mines’ within the environment of the state after the Nigeria civil war in 1970, further closed down several other economic chains attracted by the coal industry in the state.

Since thereafter, the two past civilian administrations under Dr Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime, made attempts at introducing ideas that will open up business and investment opportunities in the fast expanding coal city metropolis, to enhance employment opportunities for increasing population of Nigerians especially the youths living in the city in search of greener pastures.

At present Governor Ugwuanyi looks set with initiatives in achieving the goals. While the immediate past administration under Chime initiated the idea of ‘Public and Private Partnership, PPP, Governor Ugwuanyi deems it necessary that an economic team should be raised to handle the task of scouting for organizations from all parts of the globe to invest in the state.

Towards this direction, a 15 man committee that will eventually be ratified by the state House of Assembly was nominated by the state chief executive, over the weekend. They are to act as an Economic Advisory Committee to guide the state government on the best economic policies that will engender sustainable economic growth in the state, amidst dwindling revenue from the Federation Account.

Members of the committee includes a former minister of power from Enugu state, Prof. Barth Nnaji, deputy senate president, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the chief executive of Innoson Group of Companies located at Emene near Enugu. Others include Professor Osita Ogbu, a former Economic Adviser to the president and current Director of the Institute of Development Studies at University of Nigeria Nsukka, Mrs. Lorreta Aniagolu, Monsignor Prof. Obiora Ike, Chief Chilo Offiah, former Aviation minister, Ambassador. Fidelia Njeze, Dr. Chikelu Mba, Mr. Kelvin Emeka Onah, Mr. Emeka Odo, Princess Ngozi Nnaedozie, Mr. John Okoye and Mr. Ikechukwu Chioke.

A government house press statement said “The governor’s move is basically a response to the concern across the country owing to the frightening development in the oil sector, which has made it difficult for some states and even the federal governments to pay their staff salaries and meet other obligations starring them in the face, as governments that should be responsive to the yearnings of the people.”

The advisory committee is coming at a time when “Enugu State Government has come to the conclusion that the advisory committee will assist us in investments promotion, mobilization of funds, increased internally generated revenue (IGR) and establishment of industries.

” It is our own economic survival strategy and we also intend to use the platform to encourage and reengineer effective public-private -partnership”, the statement informed while also describing the committee as an assemblage of economists, entrepreneurial gurus, financial experts, and others from the energy, civil society sectors as well as politicians who have cut their teeth in the executive and legislative business of government in the country.”

Commenting on the initiative, Dr Eddy Ugwu, an Enugu based political analyst and head of Public Administration department, Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu said that the initiative of involving technocrats and successful private entrepreneurs in the economic team of Governor Ugwuanyi is very commendable. He said that the administration is bound to benefit from the pool of experience and exposure in the overall objective of transforming Enugu State as a viable economic state, from its ‘old fashioned civil service’.

The Hallmark checks in the state observed that Ugwuanyi’s current initiative in transforming the economic fortunes of Enugu state is an added agenda to his original principle of ‘Consolidation and Continuity on good governance’ entrusted in the state by his predecessor.

Ugwuanyi has initially expressed the willingness of his administration to develop a ‘Free Trade Zone’ around 9^th Mile Corner axis of Enugu state, uplift the urbanization of the university town of Nsukka and Oji River, a town established by the colonial masters in the defunct Eastern region, with abundant economic potentials. Oji River presently situates as a border town between Enugu and Anambra state and has potentials for both Industrial and Housing estates that will create employment and add value to the lives of the nearby communities in the two states, including the urban dwellers in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

Oji River was rediscovered and declared an urban area in 1976 by the then military administration of old East Central state, but neglected and abandoned by successive administrations. Economists hold the view that the proposed urbanization of Oji River by the present administration in Enugu State led by Ugwuanyi will further attract investment opportunities in the area and increase internally generated revenue, IGR, accruing to the state.

The Hallmark further gathered that the present administration of Ugwuanyi has expressed keen interest in maintaining prompt payment of workers’ salaries as his priority, and ensuring completion of all uncompleted projects by his predecessor, Chime, while also promoting industrial revolution of the state.

Notably, the new state workers secretariat, an initiative of the immediate past administration in the state, quoted to have gulped over N13 billion and the new office of the state governor, within the state government house, among others, even though commissioned at the tail of Chime’s administration, are still not completed . Ugwuanyi has promised to finish all these uncompleted projects, maintain prompt payment of salaries while initiating drives for industrial revolution in the state. Thus, the reason for constituting an economic advisory team to help source for funds and investors, at this critical point in time of the state economy should be a welcome development for the people of the state and the rest of Nigerians.